Photo by Judy
I
can’t believe I was grown before I tasted smoked salmon. It’s the kind of thing
my mom would have loved, though my Anglophile dad might have declined to try
it. Note that I am talking here of cold-smoked salmon (lox is one version); hot
smoked salmon is an entirely different thing and tastes, to me, liked regular
cooked salmon with an overlay of smoky flavor. I eat it, it’s okay, but I have
a passionate love for cold smoked salmon. You can almost always find a pack of
it in my fridge—a fishmonger once told me that the packaged smoked salmon is
fresher than what he lays out on the counter as fresh-cut. So I buy packaged—there
are several good brands, including Ruby Bay, St. John’s Smokehouse, Spence
& CO. Ltd. and others.
You
can do so many things with smoked salmon, though I think most people tend to
think of it as lox and cream cheese on a bagel with tomato and onion slices (I prefer
a sandwich on good Jewish rye—bagel is too much chewy bread for me). Try a
twist of smoked salmon on top of a deviled egg; make a spread of it with cream
cheese and onion (I have a recipe I’d gladly share) and serve with crackers, or
stuff in a tiny puff pastry shell with a dab of caviar for (optional) elegance;
serve it as the centerpiece of a salad plate, with lettuce, tomato, onion—and scatter
capers across it. I like just a plate of smoked salmon with crackers. Or you
can try lox and eggs—dice up some salmon into your scrambled eggs. It’s extra
good if you also toss in some diced tomato and green onions—just be sure the
onions get cooked.
My
local family won’t eat smoked salmon—I know, growing up in my household, Jordan
has tasted it and doesn’t care for it. I wouldn’t be surprised if Christian has
not tried it, and I could almost guarantee Jacob hasn’t, though sometimes he
surprises me. So, dishes with smoked salmon are things I fix for happy hour or
light supper for friends. Mary V. particularly likes it, and I have more than
once served her a flour tortilla spread with crème fraiche, topped with
generous smoked salmon, and that dab of caviar in the middle for elegance. (You
can get a small jar of caviar for ten dollars—it’s not Beluga, but it’s acceptable). Recently though I ran across a recipe for a
smoked salmon tart and served it to Mary. She loved it—and so did I.
Ingredients
(for four servings)
½
small red onion, thinly sliced, previously pickled
1
sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed
1
cup crème fraiche or sour cream
6
oz. sliced smoked salmon
Persian
cucumber slices, previously pickled
Capers
as garnish
Fresh
dill as garnish
Chopped
tomato as garnish if you wish
Lemon
for serving
Directions
Line
a sheet pan with parchment paper and lay the puff pastry on top—no need to roll
it out first. I usually use Pepperidge Farm puff pastry, but when Trader Joe’s
had theirs on sale (winter holidays only) I bought some to keep in the freezer.
It’s turns out really flaky. Poke it all over with a fork to eliminate air
pockets. Your pastry should turn out crisp but not puffy-mine actually was
puffy and I had to poke it again after baking.
Follow
baking instructions for pastry sheet and then let cool to room temperature.
Spread
sour cream or crème fraiche over pastry sheet. Top with generous smoked salmon.
Arrange garnish vegetables in a decorative pattern if possible and scatter with
either caviar or capers.
Serve
with lemon.
How
to pickle red onion: slice onion into a small bowl; toss with a pinch of salt.
Sprinkle with white vinegar until covered and toss again. Let sit on kitchen
counter for twenty or thirty minutes. Leftovers? Refrigerate and use another time
How
to pickle cucumber: mix 1 cup water with 1/3 cup white cider vinegar, a pinch
of sugar, ½ tsp. salt; slice two Persian or one English cucumber and stir into
vinegar mixture. Add a sliced green onion if you wish. Let sit at room
temperature for 30 minutes to use immediately; otherwise refrigerate. Keeps
well and is a hand accompaniment (or ingredient) of sandwiches, etc.
A couple of quick notes that have been on my
mind:
Why
are so many recipes calling for jammy (perfectly set whites but with slightly
cooked or jammy yolks) eggs? If I want a hard-boiled egg, I want the yolk
cooked!
Speaking
of eggs: if you don’t want to try salmon in your eggs, try cottage cheese.
Seriously! It gives them a rich and hearty flavor. For two eggs (one person)
stir in a heaping Tbsp. of cottage cheese. My mom did that and I loved it;
thanks to Jordan’s friend Amy for reminding me the other day.
And
a whine: if I saw one more pink-and green-kitchen, I may scream. No, I don’t
think it’s a great makeover!
And
on that note, happy eating.
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