New Potatoes with Sauteed Mushrooms & Crème Fraiche

• 10 new or small red potatoes
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 ½ cups finely chopped white mushrooms
• 2 green onions, white and pale green sections only, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
• 2 teaspoons Marsala or dry sherry
• ½ teaspoon coarse salt
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon bread crumbs
• 2 tablespoons crème fraiche or sour cream, for garnish
• Fresh parsley leaves, for garnish

Place potatoes in a large saucepan filled with enough water to cover them. Cover the pan and bring the water to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and cook just until the potatoes are knife tender, about 5 to 8 minutes. Drain, transfer them to a bowl or platter, and set them aside to cool.

Preheat a medium skillet over medium-low heat. When the skillet is hot, add oil and butter, swirling the pan to mix. Add mushrooms and green onions, and saute until they are soft. Stir in parsley, Marsala, salt, and black pepper. Cool 1 to 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Sprinkle the mixture with bread crumbs, stir to mix, and remove it from the heat.

Slice the potatoes in half and scoop out a small amount of potato from the center of each one. Fill the centers with the mushroom mixture, mounding it slightly. If desired, cover and chill until just before serving.

To serve, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Transfer the potatoes to a baking sheet and bake 5 minutes. Remove them from the oven and garnish each potato with a tiny dollop of crème fraiche or sour cream and a leaf of parsley.

Yield: 20 hors d’oeuvres