When it comes to brunch, I love muffins, cinnamon rolls, French toast, fresh fruit and coffee cake, of course, but I don’t feel like the brunch spread is complete if there aren’t some savory options too. I always look for a wedge of quiche, a link of sausage or some other savory morsel to put on my plate along with something sweet. So when I was planning the menu for a brunch I hosted last year and came across a recipe for Potato Galettes with Smoked Salmon in Ina Garten’s cookbook Modern Comfort Food, I knew I needed to give it a try.
Ina wrote Modern Comfort Food in the middle of the pandemic with the idea that food is more than just sustenance; it’s something we turn to during good times and bad. She writes, “Food has an almost magical ability to comfort us, soothe us and bring us together in so many ways.” That was true during the stressful, isolating period of the height of the pandemic, and it’s also true anytime we’re all looking for comfort or camaraderie. I think that’s why I like this particular cookbook so much, and why this recipe spoke to me. Brunch is definitely about bringing people together and celebrating happy times.
A quiche or a frittata is usually my savory go-to when I’m hosting, but these potato galettes give me the opportunity to mix things up. And if I’m having a larger brunch crowd, I can make both an egg dish and the galettes. In the spirit of modern comfort food, they are easy to make but also nourishing and satisfying. Ina feels that entertaining doesn’t have to be fancy. Rather, she writes, it’s about “taking the time to enjoy good food and good conversation with the people I love.”
How to Make Ina Garten’s Potato Galettes
Similar to a potato pancake or a latke, Ina’s galette is made with shredded potatoes. She starts by peeling two large russet potatoes and cutting them lengthwise into matchsticks using a mandoline. (For speed and to avoid potential injury—mandolines can be a little tricky—I just use the shredding blade on my food processor. Don’t tell Ina!)
Next she spreads the potato matchsticks out on a clean kitchen towel and gently squeezes them in the towel to remove moisture without breaking them up. This will help ensure that the resulting galettes are super-crispy. A quick toss with some salt and pepper and the potatoes are ready to cook.
Ina makes one galette at a time, adding half of the potato matchsticks to some olive oil that she’s heated in a small skillet. She presses the potatoes with a metal spatula and lets them sit for a few minutes to start cooking and browning on the bottom. Then—and this is the key—she drizzles some melted butter around the inside edge of the pan. The butter travels under the potato cake and encourages even more browning on the bottom, plus it adds a little richness and flavor.
The next step requires a little caution: she calls for loosening the galette with a spatula and carefully flipping it over. Then the process is the same for the other side, adding a little melted butter and getting nice browning on the bottom.
When the galette is well browned and crispy, Ina calls for transferring it to a paper-towel-lined plate. This allows the galette to drain, and any excess butter or oil gets soaked up so it won’t be greasy. After that you simply repeat the whole process to make the second galette.
The finished galettes can be made an hour ahead, per Ina, and reheated before serving. (I have made them the day before and refrigerated them until I’m ready to reheat them. Just pop them into a 400-degree oven for 5 to 10 minutes to warm them.) You’ll want to wait to top them until you’re ready to serve them so the galettes stay warm and the toppings stay cool.
The galettes get a thin spread of crème fraîche on top (a complementary pairing for salmon and potatoes, not unlike sour cream), and then each one gets a little pile of sliced smoked salmon. Ina recommends using Scottish salmon, which has a mild flavor, here. A sprinkle of chives and a little salt are the finishing touches.
Ina instructs to cut each galette into six wedges, but depending how many guests you’re serving, you could also cut them into quarters if you like. Be sure to serve them while the potato galettes are still hot and crispy. There’s something so wonderful about the crunch of the hot galette combined with the cool creaminess of the crème fraîche and the brininess of the smoked salmon. And if you’re really into brininess, like me, try tossing a few capers on top of these galettes too. You could also add a little everything bagel seasoning or sliced avocado if you like. But they’re great as is and don’t need any embellishments.
Enjoy this simple brunch dish with friends—cooking for them is a great way to show how much you care about them. As Ina writes, “Cooking really delicious comfort food—particularly fresh, modern comfort food—ensures that everyone at your table will feel happy and satisfied, and isn’t that how we want the people we love to feel?”
