We’ve made it known many times that our favorite period to visit the Walt Disney World Resort is during the Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival. We can’t get enough of the stunning topiaries and, of course, the wonderful food. So, we were tremendously excited when this year’s Festival Food Guide debuted. We picked many items we plan to sample when we visit next month including this gem that I’m showing you how to make, today. It’s the Potato Cheddar Biscuit with Salmon Tartare that can be found at Cider House near World Showplace. It just shouts Spring to us and we think it will to you, as well!
Our Ingredients
The components for our Potato Cheddar Biscuits with Salmon Tartare should not be difficult to track down in your local store. It’s, mostly, typical stuff you’d use to create homemade Biscuits and traditional accompaniments to most Salmon dishes. There are a few interesting differences and details you’ll want to pay attention to, however.
It should come as no surprise that the most important part of this dish is the Salmon. Since this is an “uncooked” dish, you will want to find a very fresh filet. The best way to know if your fish is fresh is to give it a smell. If the fish smells more “fishy” than like the ocean, you should choose a different piece or go ahead and find your Salmon elsewhere.
The other cool thing about this recipe is that it’s a great way to reuse leftover Mashed Potatoes. Yep! They are what make up the “Potato” part of the Potato Cheddar Biscuits. Now, if you don’t happen to have leftovers in your fridge, that’s okay. You can replace them by just peeling and boiling a couple of Russet Potatoes and giving them a quick mash. You don’t need to add the Milk, Butter and etc. to create this dish. (Although, if you’re going through with this step, why not make more for another meal? Remember, it never takes twice the effort to make twice the food)
- One more thing! I’ve mentioned this before but I almost never have Buttermilk in the house. I just don’t use it enough to buy an entire half gallon. What I do, instead, is make my own “Buttermilk”. This is done by combining a cup of Milk with a Tablespoon of White Vinegar. Let sit for about 15 minutes and you have “Buttermilk”.
Let’s get cooking!
The Potato Cheddar Biscuits
We’ll start with a portion of our Potato Cheddar Biscuits with Salmon Tartare with a part of the recipe that you’ll want to keep on hand for many other opportunities, as well. That’s because these biscuits are so good, you’ll want to break them out, often, just by themselves.
Begin by preheating the oven to 400ºF.
What a cut up!
Next, cut the Unsalted Butter into small cubes (about ¼ inch) and place in the freezer to keep cold.
- One of the biggest keys to making sure your Biscuits are light and flaky is to keep the Butter cold. That’s why they go into the freezer as soon as I’m done cutting the pieces. I would also recommend placing the bowl you will be using and many of the utensils you’ll be using to create your dough in the freezer, as well.
Now, place the All-Purpose Flour, Baking Powder and Salt in a large bowl and whisk until well combined. Add the Cubed Butter and cut it together quickly using a fork. Do the same with the Mashed Potatoes. You’ll know the dough has been cut into the flour properly if it forms little “pebbles” similar to the ones you seen in the above photo.
Next, add the Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese and Minced Chives. Toss quickly until well combined.
Now, make a little “well” in the center of the Dough and add the Buttermilk. Slowly mix the ingredients together until the Biscuit Dough just comes together.
Turn out the Biscuit Dough onto a lightly floured surface and form into a ball with your hands then roll out evenly to about 1″ thickness. Use a 2½” cookie cutter to form each Biscuit and place them on a Baking Sheet lined with Parchment Paper. Once you’ve cut the first batch of Biscuits, you can combine the unused dough, roll it out again and cut a few more.
More Cheese is never a bad thing!
Brush the top of each Biscuit lightly with Buttermilk and top with a layer of Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese. Place in the oven and bake at 400ºF for approximately 20 – 25 minutes. You’ll know they’re done when they’ve risen slightly and the tops are golden brown.
You can enjoy them warm but, for the purpose of this recipe, you’ll want to place them on a Baking Rack to cool.
The Salmon Tartare
Now, I know the name of this part of the dish suggests the Salmon portion will be raw. Well, that’s not completely true. While it won’t be cooked in a traditional way, the fish portion of this recipe will actually be lightly cured by the acid found in the Lime Juice. Kind of like in a Ceviche.
To start this portion of the recipe, you’ll want to cut the Salmon into extremely small cubes. One of the easiest ways to get this done is to lightly “freeze” the filet before cutting. You can do this by placing it in the freezer for 20 to 30 minutes. Not enough to freeze it solid but enough to make it simpler to trim small pieces.
Once the Salmon has firmed up, slice thin strips lengthwise, like in the photo above.
Use each cut piece to cut the Salmon into very small cubes. No more than 1/8 of an inch
Place the cubed Salmon in a medium-sized bowl with the Fresh Lime Juice, Lime Zest, Minced Shallot, Dill, Capers, Dijon Mustard and Sour Cream. Mix lightly until fully combined.
Place the Salmon Tartare in the refrigerator and let rest for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavors to combine and the Lime Juice to “cook” the Salmon.
- While you will want to Tartare to sit for at least 30 minutes, you won’t want to let it sit for too long before serving. The Lime Juice will continue to “cook” the Salmon and the eventually make it a little mushy. I would making this portion of the dish no more than one hour before you’re planning on serving it.
Assembling the Potato Cheddar Biscuits with Salmon Tartare
Time to put this beautiful Disney Dish together! Begin by using a serrated knife to split the Biscuits. Place the base of each on your desired serving plate(s). Next, add a heaping spoonful of the Salmon Tartare. Now, combine the Sour Cream with a little Milk or Half-and-Half and stir until it reaches a consistency that you can drizzle over the top of the Salmon. Top with a sprig of Dill and the upper portion of the Biscuit.
Serve immediately and enjoy!
Final Conclusion
These Potato Cheddar Biscuits with Salmon Tartare are the culinary embodiment of Spring. They’re light, bright and beautiful. They’re also extremely flavorful.
The Biscuits are light and flaky but pack a wonderful flavor wallop with the Cheddar Cheese and Chives. It’s the perfect compliment to this delicious, perfectly balanced Tartare. With each taste, you get the meatiness from the Salmon and a lovely bit of acid from the Lime. Meanwhile, the Shallots provide a little sweet and slightly spicy bite while the Capers bring a pop of flowery, saltiness. It’s all brought together by the tang of the Dijon Mustard and the richness of the Sour Cream.
This is a perfect Disney Dish to share on a warm, Spring day on the patio with a chilled glass of Sauvignon Blanc.
Make this recipe this weekend and kick-off your own Flower & Garden Festival in your home!
If you have any questions about this or any of our recipes, just hit us up below in the comments. You can also reach us through our Contact Us page or through email.
Potato Cheddar Biscuits with Salmon Tartare
Makes approximately 10 – 12 servings
For the Potato Cheddar Biscuits
- 2 1/3 cups – All-Purpose Flour
- 2 tsp – Salt
- 1 tbsp – Baking Powder
- ¼ cup – Unsalted Butter – Chilled – Cubed
- 1 cup – Leftover Mashed Potatoes – Chilled
- 3/4 cup – Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese – Plus more for Biscuit Topping
- 2 tbsp – Fresh Chives – Minced
- 3/4 cup – Buttermilk – Plus more to brush on the tops of the Biscuits
For the Salmon Tartare
- 8 – 10 oz – Fresh Salmon Filet – Skin off
- 2 tbsp – Shallots – Minced
- 2 oz – Fresh Lime Juice
- Zest of 1 Lime
- 1 tbls – Capers – Minced
- 2 tsp – Fresh Dill – Minced
- 2 tsp – Dijon Mustard
- 1½ tsp – Sour Cream
For the Garnish
- Sour Cream
- Milk or Half-and-Half
- Fresh Dill Sprigs (if desired)
For the Potato Cheddar Biscuits
- Preheat the oven to 400ºF
- Place the All-Purpose Flour, Salt and Baking Powder in a large bowl and whisk to combine
- Using a fork, cut in the chilled and cubed Unsalted Butter
- Add the Leftover Mashed Potatoes and cut into the flour with a fork until small “pebbles” form
- Add the Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese and Minced Chives. Stir to combine
- Make a well in the center of the ingredients in the bowl and add the Buttermilk. Stir until the dough just comes together
- Turn out onto a lightly floured, flat surface and form the dough into a ball. Roll out to approximately 1″ thick
- Use a 2½” cookie cutter to cut the Biscuits, placing them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper
- Brush the top of each Biscuit lightly with Buttermilk and top with additional Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese
- Place in the oven and bake at 400ºF for approximately 20 to 25 minutes. The Biscuits will be done when they have risen slightly and the tops are golden brown in color
- Place on a baking rack to cool and reserve until ready to serve
For the Salmon Tartare
- Place the Salmon Filet in the freezer to firm up for about 20 to 30 minutes
- Use a sharp knife to cut the Salmon into very small cubes then add to a medium-sized bowl
- Add the Minced Shallots, Capers and Dill to the Salmon along with the Fresh Lime Juice, Lime Zest, Dijon Mustard and Sour Cream. Lightly stir until well combined
- Place in the refrigerator and allow to rest for 30 to 60 minutes
- Serve chilled
Plating the Potato Cheddar Biscuits with Salmon Tartare
- Use a serrated knife to split the Biscuits in half and place the bottom portions on your desired serving plate(s)
- Place a heaping spoonful on the Salmon Tartare on top of each Biscuit base
- Combine the Sour Cream with a little Milk or Half-and-Half until the mixture reaches a drizzling consistency. Drizzle over the top of the Salmon Tartare
- Add a spring of Fresh Dill and top with the upper portion of each Biscuit
- Serve immediately and enjoy
If you enjoyed this dish, be sure to check out some of our other Disney Festival themed recipes:
Seared Scallops with Chorizo and Red Pepper Coulis
Tostada de Chorizo from Las Posadas Holiday Kitchen
Smoked Salmon Potato Latkes Recipe
Kalua-Style Pulled Pork Tots with Polynesian BBQ Sauce & Mango Salsa
Santa Maria Style Tri-Tip With Chimichurri
Petite Plant-Based Burgers with Guacamole
If you’re a Disney Fan, be sure to check out our Disney Podcast, as well.
