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APPETIZERS

Deviled Potatoes with Crispy Shiitake Bacon

Smoky mushroom bacon makes the perfect crispy, salty topping for this plant-based riff on deviled eggs. Just a sprinkle of black salt, or kala namak, is the secret to achieving eggy flavor—find it in Indian markets or online (the search is totally worth it!).

— by BRIAN L. PATTON

MAKES 16 POTATOES

For the shiitake bacon:

2 teaspoons vegetable oil
½ teaspoon maple syrup
¼ teaspoon smoked paprika, plus more for garnish
⅛ teaspoon salt
1/16 teaspoon black pepper
½ cup sliced shiitake mushrooms (about 16 ⅛-inch-thick slices)

For the deviled potatoes:

¼ cup salt
¼ cup apple cider vinegar
12 baby Yukon Gold potatoes, roughly the size and shape of eggs
3 tablespoons plain, unsweetened vegan milk
3 tablespoons sliced chives, divided
2 tablespoons vegan mayonnaise
1 teaspoon nutritional yeast
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon lemon juice
½ teaspoon black salt
⅛ teaspoon turmeric

1. For the shiitake bacon, preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a medium bowl, add oil, maple syrup, paprika, salt, and pepper, and whisk. Add shiitake mushrooms and gently toss to coat in marinade.

2. On a parchment-lined sheet pan, spread out mushrooms, making sure they don’t touch. Bake for 20 minutes, flipping once halfway through. Remove from oven, allow to cool completely, and set aside.

3. For the deviled potatoes, in a large pot, add 8 cups cold water, salt, and apple cider vinegar. Whisk vigorously until salt is dissolved. Add potatoes and extra water, if needed to cover, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.

4. Boil potatoes until fork-tender, about 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from water, and place in a colander to cool. Once cool enough to handle, cut potatoes in half lengthwise.

5. Using a measuring spoon or melon baller, scoop a rounded tablespoon-sized portion of flesh out of 16 potato halves, creating a round hole while leaving a perimeter of flesh to resemble shape of a halved hard-boiled egg.

6. Into a mixing bowl, add removed flesh along with 8 remaining potato halves. Mash with a fork until smooth.

7. In a small mixing bowl, add milk, 2½ tablespoons chives, mayonnaise, nutritional yeast, mustard, lemon juice, black salt, and turmeric. Whisk until smooth.

Using a rubber spatula, fold mayonnaise mixture into mashed potatoes, until incorporated and smooth. Pipe or spoon generous amounts of potato filling into potato halves. Place a slice of bacon on