2 cups (lightly packed) 1/2-inch cubes French baguette with crusts
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 pound russet potatoes, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/2 cup finely chopped shallots
1/2 pound hot-smoked salmon fillets, skinned, flaked into bite-size pieces
3 tablespoons minced fresh chives
2 teaspoons minced fresh dill
4 large eggs
1 cup half and half
3 tablespoons sour cream
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Additional sour cream
Capers
Fresh dill sprigs
Preheat oven to 400°F. Arrange bread on rimmed baking sheet. Bake until pale golden, about 5 minutes, then cool.
Butter 11x7-inch glass baking dish. Melt 2 tablespoons butter with oil in heavy large skillet over medium-low heat.
Add potatoes. Stir to coat and arrange in single layer. Cover and cook until potatoes are almost tender, about
8 minutes. Uncover; increase heat to medium-high, and cook until potatoes are lightly browned and tender, stirring
occasionally, about 5 minutes. Add shallots and sauté until soft, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Gently mix in
bread, salmon, chives, and minced dill. Transfer mixture to prepared dish.
Whisk eggs and next 5 ingredients in medium bowl to blend well. Pour custard over potato mixture in dish. Let stand
15 minutes, occasionally pressing bread into custard. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; chill. Let stand at room
temperature 30 minutes before baking.)
Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake casserole, uncovered, until custard is set, about 30 minutes. Cut into squares and
top with additional sour cream, capers, and dill sprigs; serve hot.
Makes 6 servings.
Hot-smoked fully cooked salmon is flaky in texture and fragrant with alder smoke. This dish can be completely assembled and chilled one day before baking.