Smoked Salmon Hors D’Oeuvres

My husband and I enjoy entertaining and so to kick start 2011, we held a dinner party.  We served these delicious morsels when our guests arrived along with our favorite bubbly. Salmon is rich in natural proteins and is much lower in its saturated fat content than other natural sources of the same, such as red meat and dairy products. Vitamins A, B and D are also plentiful in smoked salmon. Most smoked salmon is cold smoked. This does indeed mean that the fish is not cooked, it simply has its flavor delicately enhanced by the smoke of specially selected wood, often oak. Cold smoked salmon consequently retains a lot more of its natural oils and is very moist in texture. It is most often sliced very thinly.

Makes 20 pieces
recipe adapted from The Best of Chef at Home
print this recipe

12 to 16 slices of smoked salmon
125ml (1/2 cup) cream cheese, softened
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 green onions, thinly sliced or use fresh dill
20 Grissol crispy rosemary and olive oil baguettes or your favorite cracker

On a counter top, lay out an 18 x 12 inch (45 x 30 cm) piece of plastic wrap. In the center of the plastic, overlap 8 pieces or so of smoked salmon to form a rectangle about 12 x 8 inches (30 x 20 cm). Toss the remaining smoked salmon, cream cheese, mustard and green onion in a food processor. Purée until smooth enough to spread an even layer of the mixture on the smoked salmon slices (leave about an inch of 1 long edge uncovered.

Starting at the long edge that’s covered with the cream cheese mixture, roll the smoked salmon into a tight log. Pick up the plastic wrap and use it to roll the salmon tightly. The uncovered edge at the top will help form a tight seal. Pinch the plastic wrap on both ends and then roll the log until it tightens and forms a cylinder. Refrigerate or freeze for several hours to help it firm. When the roll is firm enough to cut, remove plastic and slice into even rounds. Place each round on a cracker and sprinkle your favorite garnish on top.

The Culinary Chase’s Note: These were definitely enjoyable and I opted to use the dill instead of the green onion. Chef Michael Smith, author of the cookbook, also suggests using a spoonful of fresh pesto to the cream cheese mixture.  Use a sharp knife to cut through the rolls and you may have to rinse the knife under hot water every other cut so as to make a clean slice.  Enjoy!