March 22, 2010

Smoked Salmon Bruschetta

I have to thank my sister for introducing this delicious version of bruschetta! Bruschetta (pronounced brus ketta) is an appetizer which originated in the 15th century from central Italy (Lazio, Marches, Tuscany, Umbria). It consists of grilled bread rubbed with garlic and topped with extra-virgin olive oil, salt and pepper. It’s believed that this poor man’s food was born as a snack for the workers in the fields. It was prepared with homemade, (sometimes stale bread), and flavored with olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper and tomato. Today, bruschetta toppings can be anything your imagination allows. For more bruschetta ideas, click here.

Serves 6-8
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handful or two of spring salad mix or rocket

thinly sliced smoked salmon cut into small pieces
honey

rice wine vinegar

extra virgin olive oil

small sweet onion, finely chopped

1 clove garlic, finely minced

mascarpone cheese

fresh baguette

Preheat oven to 180c (350f). If the salad leaves are too big, chop a bit with a knife. In a bowl, toss to combine salad with smoked salmon, garlic, onion and a drizzle of honey. Add a few dashes of extra virgin olive oil and a sprinkling of rice wine vinegar (you only want to slightly moisten the salad). Season salad with salt and pepper. Slice baguette diagonally or into slices and place 2 or 3 teaspoons of mascarpone on each slice (depending on size of slice). Place in oven and bake 8-10 minutes until cheese is melted or slightly softened. Remove from oven and dress each slice of bread with the salad mixture. Serve warm.

The Culinary Chase’s Note

: This was a huge hit on Saturday night! A combination of sweet from the mascarpone and smoke from the salmon really make this appetizer. Our friends really enjoyed this as much as we did so this one is a definite repeater. A simple but very satisfying snack. Enjoy!