Smoked Salmon Spread with a Kick
As the season of summer barbeques and parties for visitors was winding down, I started gravitating towards the quick-and-easy end of the scale when it came to apps and snacks. This popular spread meets all the requirements: quick, easy, relatively cheap but looks and tastes expensive. The key is the use of "smoked salmon trim" - the bits and scraps left on the board after the perfect sides of $24.99/lb smoked salmon have been cut. I buy these in a plastic pouch for $4.99/lb, and since it was cut from the same fish as the expensive piece, I'm living high on the hog for pennies -- and the addition of wasabi powder to the spread separates it from the usual.
3/4 lb smoked salmon, cut in 1/4 - 1/3" pieces
3/4 cup cream cheese
juice of one lemon
2 tsp wasabi powder
1 T dried dill weed
2 T capers, rinsed, for garnish
1 scallion, green parts only, cut in threads for garnish
lemon slices, cut for garnish
little toasts (recipe below) or crackers
Mix most of the salmon with the cream cheese, lemon juice, wasabi
and dill. Add a small amount of water if necessary to thin the
consistency of the spread slightly, as preferred. Garnish with the
reserved salmon pieces, the capers, the scallion threads and the lemon
slices.
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Toasts for apps: slice French bread baquettes in 3/8" slices. Bake on a bakingsheet 15 minutes in preheated 325º oven. Turn toasts and brush with olive oil. Bake 15 minutes more. Rub the toasts with a cut clove of garlic.
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Stephen, I serve smoked salmon and cream cheese often but never thought to add wasabi powder. Guess that's on tap for next time.
Posted by: Ruth | September 06, 2005 at 09:04 AM
That's really very clever, Stephen!
I've recently seen recipes calling for the trimmings of salmon...have to wonder if people are just catching on to it now?
Posted by: Stephanie | September 06, 2005 at 12:26 PM
Smoked salmon and wasabi...yum! Will try this for the next party and impress my friends...thanks! :-)
Posted by: joey | September 07, 2005 at 06:46 AM
I can attest that this tasted like the "high-priced spread"!
Posted by: JR | September 07, 2005 at 11:02 AM
This really sounds fantastic. I'm mad about sushi and like it heavy on the wasabi so I'm sure this would be great. One question: where did you find the smoked salmon "trimmings" in a plastic pouch? I've never seen anything like that for sale in my usual round of markets.
Posted by: Kalyn | September 07, 2005 at 07:29 PM
Hi Kalyn...well, that could be a problem...the salmon trim I get comes from Ducktrap Farms and is in the same case at the supermarket along with their other products...I don't think they sell the trim packs online but maybe if you can find a store that distributes Ducktrap products maybe you can get them to get it...
Thanks so much for visiting and saying such nice things, and for your interest in Stephencooks.com.
Posted by: Stephen | September 08, 2005 at 05:57 AM