Little Smoked Salmon Cucumber Cups With Peppered Crème Fraiche
Serves | 30 |
Prep time | 15 minutes |
Allergy | Fish |
Meal type | Appetizer, Side Dish, Snack, Starter |
Misc | Gourmet, Pre-preparable, Serve Cold |
Occasion | Christmas, Formal Party, Thanksgiving |
Region | British |
By author | Karen S Burns-Booth |
Ingredients
- 1 medium cucumber, cut into 1-inch slices
- 10 tablespoons creme fraiche
- zest of one large lemon
- fresh ground black pepper, to taste (about 2 teaspoons)
- 225 g smoked salmon (8 ozs)
- salt (optional)
- lemon slices, to garnish (optional)
- dill (optional) or parsley, to garnish (optional)
Note
Delightful and EASY little smoked salmon and cucumber appetisers, and healthy too, with NO pastry! These are a breeze to make but they tick all the taste boxes, as well as being elegant. Cucumbers do vary in size, and I have suggested a medium cucumber, which is about 10″ to 12″ long………however, any size will do!! Adjust the crème fraîche to how many cups you yield from a cucumber, I managed to make 30 cups and used 10 tablespoons of crème fraîche for that amount, 1 teaspoon per cup. Serve these with cocktails and pre-dinner drinks, or as part of a buffet. The cucumber cups and crème fraîche can be prepared beforehand, but these should only be assembled 1 hour before serving (at the most) and covered in cling film to ensure the smoked salmon does not dry out. Allow 2 to 4 per person, depending on what else is served.
Directions
Step 1 | Cut the cucumber into 1 1/2 inch slices, and carefully hollow out the centre (with any seeds) with a pointed teaspoon, so you are left with a shallow hollow. |
Step 2 | Mix the lemon zest and black pepper with the crème fraiche and adjust seasoning to taste, adding the black pepper bit by bit to ensure a favourable taste! (We like ours quite peppery!) I have not suggested salt as the smoked salmon is salty, but do add salt to taste if you wish. |
Step 3 | Spoon a little seasoned crème fraiche into each cucumber cup, about 1 teaspoon per cup. |
Step 4 | Cut the smoked salmon into 6-inch long strips and about 1/2 inch wide, and curl them around to make a little circle, then place the circle of smoked salmon on top of the crème fraiche. |
Step 5 | Garnish with lemon slices if you wish, or with dill or parsley. Makes about 30 according to size of cucumber. |
Step 6 | You can prepare the cucumber cups and crème fraiche several hours beforehand- cover them and store them in the fridge; assemble them just before you are ready to serve them. |