Salmon And Cucumber Pumpernickel Squares Recipes

MY ENGLISH FRIEND MAGGIE'S FAVORITE SIMPLE SUPPER: POACHED SALMON WITH DIJON DILL SAUCE, CUCUMBER AND DARK BREAD, NEW POTATOES WITH MINT

Steps:

• Place potatoes in a pot and cover with water. Cover pot and bring water to a boil. Add a generous amount of coarse salt to the water, a few healthy pinches. Reduce heat to medium and boil covered until tender, about 12 minutes.
• Place salmon fillets in a large deep skillet or divide between 2 skillets if you do not have a pan large enough to accommodate all 8 portions. The additional portions will provide the cooked salmon for salmon cakes on another night. Pour wine and water into the pan so that just the very top of the salmon is exposed. Add a bay leaf and a bouquet of a few sprigs each fresh tarragon, dill and parsley to the pan and set it down into the liquid. Place the pan or pans over high heat and bring the liquid to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low and cover the pan. Poach salmon for 10 minutes or, until fish is firm and opaque.
• Drain your potatoes and return them to the hot pot. Add butter to the pot and turn potatoes to coat them lightly in the butter. Sprinkle the mint and sugar over the potatoes.
• Combine sour cream with Dijon mustard and chopped herbs in a small bowl.
• Remove salmon from the cooking liquid with a thin spatula. Reserve 3 portions of the salmon and place in the refrigerator or freeze for salmon cakes meal.
• To serve, place a piece of salmon on a plate and garnish with sauce. Serve pumpernickel squares, watercress and sliced cucumber along side the fish. Add minted red potatoes to the plate and serve.

SMOKED SALMON WITH CREAMY CUCUMBERS

Steps:

• Thinly slice the cucumber on a mandoline and place in a colander over a bowl. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and allow the cucumbers to sit for 5 minutes. Squeeze out the excess water and place the cucumbers in a clean medium bowl. Add the sour cream, dill and 1/4 teaspoon salt and stir with a rubber spatula to combine.
• Lay the smoked salmon on one half of a platter lightly, so there is movement to the plate, leaving open the other half of the platter. Pile the cucumber mixture on a quarter of the platter or spoon into a bowl that fits on the platter. Serve the toasted pumpernickel bread on the other quarter of the platter.

SALMON AND CUCUMBER PUMPERNICKEL SQUARES

Steps:

• Make pumpernickel crust:
• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Finely grind bread in a food processor, then pulse with butter and salt until combined. Press crumbs onto bottom of a 9-inch square metal baking pan and bake in middle of oven until top is crisp, 12 to 15 minutes. Cool crust completely in pan on a rack.
• Make filling:
• Bring a 4-quart heavy saucepan three-fourths full of salted water to a simmer, then poach fresh salmon until just cooked through, about 10 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to a plate to cool. Scrape off and discard all brown flesh and finely chop remaining poached salmon, transferring to a large bowl.
• Remove any brown flesh from smoked salmon. Finely chop smoked salmon and stir into poached salmon along with butter, shallot, and lemon juice.
• Beat cream in another bowl with an electric mixer until it holds soft peaks, then fold into salmon. Spoon salmon filling over pumpernickel crust, smoothing top.
• Toss cucumber with dill, then scatter evenly over salmon filling, pressing slightly to help adhere. Chill, covered with plastic wrap, until firm, at least 8 hours.
• Cut into 36 squares and serve cold or at room temperature.

SMOKED SALMON AND CUCUMBER SQUARES

Steps:

• Halve cucumber crosswise and thinly julienne lengthwise, preferably with a mandoline or other manual slicer, working around core. Discard core.
• Stir together sour cream, horseradish, and salt and pepper to taste.
• Divide bread into 4 stacks and cut stacks into 1 1/2-inch squares with a serrated knife, discarding crusts. Spoon 1/2 teaspoon sour cream onto center of each bread square, then top with a folded piece of salmon.
• Top salmon with a small amount of cucumber, twirled into a mound.

CUCUMBER CUPS WITH DILL CREAM AND SMOKED SALMON

Steps:

• Trim ends from cucumbers and cut crosswise into 24 (3/4-inch-thick) rounds. Scoop a 1/2-inch-deep depression from one side of each round with a small melon-baller, forming little cups. Drain cucumbers, cup sides down, on paper towels for 15 minutes.
• Beat cream cheese, chopped dill, lemon zest, lemon juice, and black pepper together in a bowl. Spoon 1/2 teaspoon cheese mixture into each cucumber cup. Top each cup with 1 salmon strip and 1 dill sprig.

CUCUMBER SANDWICH APPETIZERS

Steps:

• Mix cream cheese, sour cream, and Italian salad dressing mix in a bowl until well blended.
• Spread cream cheese mixture atop pumpernickel party bread and top each slice with 1 to 2 cucumber slices.