Smoked Fish & Hash Browns

• 0.5 cup crème fraîche
• 1 small shallot, minced
• 2 Tbsp. finely chopped dill
• 2 tsp. fresh lemon juice, plus more for brushing
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• 2 large white potatoes (about 1 lb.), peeled
• 4 Tbsp. unsalted butter, 2 Tbsp. melted
• 0.5 lb. thinly sliced smoked salmon
• 0.5 lb. smoked whitefish, skinned, boned, and flaked
• Extra-virgin olive oil, for brushing
• Freshly snipped chives and tobiko, for garnish

In a bowl, stir the crème fraîche with the shallot, dill, and the 2 tsp. of lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper. Whisk the mixture with a fork or a whisk until thickened, about 30 seconds. Refrigerate this until you want to use it.

On a box grater, coarsely shred the potatoes. Place them in a bowl of cold water and swirl them around until the water turns cloudy with the released starch. Pour off the water and do it again, then turn the potatoes out into a colander and rinse them, drain them, and wrap them in a clean kitchen towel and squeeze out as much water as you can. In a bowl, combine the potatoes with the 2 Tbsp. of melted butter and season them with salt and pepper.

Pre-heat your oven to 425F.

In a small cast iron skillet (use a non-stick one if you have to), melt 1 Tbsp. of the butter. Add half of the potatoes and pat them into a disk about 0.5 inch thick. Cook over moderately high heat, turning once, until golden, 2–3 minutes per side. Transfer the potato patty to a baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining 1 Tbsp. of butter and potato. Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake the potatoes for 10 minutes, until cooked through and crisp; transfer to a platter and let stand for 15 minutes.

Spoon the shallot-dill crème onto the potatoes and top with the smoked fish. Lightly brush the fish with olive oil and lemon juice and season with salt and pepper. Garnish with chives and tobiko. Serve right away.