Keyword charcuterie board, easy appetizer, fish appetizer, party food, smoked salmon appetizer, smoked salmon spread
Prep Time 15 minutesminutes
Rest 45 minutesminutes
Total Time 1 hourhour
Servings 4people
Author Lokness
Ingredients
7ouncesthinly sliced smoked salmon
3½tablespoonsheavy cream
1½ teaspoonslemon zest(about ½ lemon)
1tablespoonfresh lemon juice
1½tablespoonschives, plus more for garnish(finely chopped)
Salt
Ground black pepper
Capers(for serving)
Crackers or toasted baguette(for serving)
Instructions
In an 8-oz round ramekin or bowl, line a large piece of plastic wrap on the inside with at least 2-inch overhang all around. Make sure the wrap is nicely fitted in the ramekin. Use about half of the smoked salmon to line the inside of the ramekin. A little overlap is ok and it's ok to have overhang (because you still need to wrap the top). Leave a little bit smoked salmon for the top part. If you see any holes, patch with a small piece of salmon.
Transfer the rest of the salmon into a food processor. Add heavy cream, lemon zest, lemon juice, chives, a small pinch of salt and black pepper. Process in short bursts until the mixture is mostly smooth. Don’t over mix. If the mixture seems a bit too dry, transfer to a small bowl and stir in a little more heavy cream. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Spoon the mixture into the salmon ramekin. Pat down slightly. Cover the top with smoked salmon. Bring the plastic wrap together and give it a gentle twist. Keep the twist in place and transfer to the fridge and chill for at least 45 minutes.
When ready to serve, lift the whole salmon piece out along with the plastic wrap. Carefully remove the plastic wrap. Turn the salmon spread upside down and place on a platter. Garnish with chopped chives and serve along with capers and crackers.
Notes
It’s best to use smoked salmon that is thin and large. The ones I used were a bit thick and pretty small, which made it harder to wrap.
If you don’t have a food processor, you can make the spread by hand too. Cut the salmon as fine as you can. Mince the chives. Whisk the heavy cream until thickened a bit, almost a soft peak. Stir in the rest of ingredients and mix well. That should do it.
I like to serve this in a charcuterie board along with olives, fruit, and cheese. But you can serve by itself with crackers or sliced baguette too.
This spread can be made a few hours ahead, but best to serve in the same day.