Recipe: Smoked Salmon Fry Bread With Kefir Ranch
Skip the bagel and put your smoked salmon on fry bread instead
We love a good bagel with lox and schmear here at TT, but after visiting Covina in NYC, we've learned that there's an even more delicious way to do it. The restaurant serves a classic Eastern European-style fry bread topped with kefir ranch dressing (see the recipe), smoked salmon and all of the traditional accoutrements. It's the perfect balance of richness and brightness.
Part of what makes the fry bread dough so light and fluffy is the incorporation of cooked potato. While we would love to tell you to use one russet potato and you'll be set, often one potato will yield more than one cup of flesh when riced. Be sure to only use one cup of potato, since the measurement is crucial to making the proper dough.
To learn more, read "How'd You Get So Fry?"
Recipe adapted from Tim Cushman, Covina, New York, NY
- For the Starter
- ½ cup flour
- ¼ cup water
- For the Dough
- 1 cup water, heated to 105º
- 1 teaspoon active dry yeast
- Starter
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
- ¾ cup whole wheat flour 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup cooked and riced russet potato
- For Assembly
- Vegetable oil, for frying
- Fry bread dough
- Kefir ranch
- 12 ounces smoked salmon, thinly sliced
- Capers, for garnish
- Thinly sliced red onions, for garnish
- Parsley leaves, for garnish
- Chive batons, for garnish
- Dill fronds, for garnish
- Lemon zest, for garnish
- Make the starter: In a small bowl, mix the starter ingredients until the flour is completely incorporated. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest overnight.
- The next day, make the dough: In a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment, combine the heated water with the yeast and let sit until foamy, 15 minutes. Add the starter and mix until incorporated. Add the remaining ingredients and mix on medium speed until incorporated, 5 minutes. Lightly cover with plastic wrap and let proof for 2 hours, punching down the dough after 1 hour.
- Assemble the dish: In a 6-quart Dutch oven, heat 2 inches of vegetable oil to 350º and line a plate with paper towels. Using heavily floured hands, scoop ½ cup of the dough and stretch into a 5-by-3 inch rectangle. Drape the dough directly into the hot oil and fry, flipping once, until golden brown, 2 minutes per side. Transfer to the prepared plate to drain and repeat with the rest of the dough.
- Divide the fry bread between plates. Top each with 2 tablespoons of the kefir ranch and 2 ounces of smoked salmon. Garnish each with capers, red onions, parsley leaves, chive batons, dill fronds and lemon zest, then serve.