Salmon appetizers
Buttery, shattering puff pastry with a layer of smoked salmon and creamy garlic herb cheese inside, finished with black and white sesame seeds on top. Rich, salty, and gone in one bite!
Ingredients
- 1 sheet all-butter puff pastry about 250–300g
- 300 gr smoked salmon
- 150 gr garlic and herbs soft cheese
- 1 egg yolk for glazing
- sesame seeds mix for sprinkling, optional but classic
Equipment
- 1 rolling pin if your puff pastry isn’t already rolled out
- 1 knife
- 1 chopping board or clean work surface
- 1 mixing bowl for mixing the egg yolk with water
Instructions
1. Prep and preheat
- Preheat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan) and line a large baking tray with a baking mat or parchment.
2. Build the puff pastry
- Unroll the puff pastry onto a lightly floured surface and cut it in half to create two equal rectangles. Spread a thin layer of the garlic and herb soft cheese over one half, then lay the smoked salmon evenly over it, right up to the edges. Place the second rectangle on top, pressing down gently to seal and smoothing out any air bubbles.
3. Cut, glaze and sprinkle
- With a sharp knife or pizza cutter, cut the layered pastry into strips, then into rectangles or squares, using a decisive downward press. Leave them on the tray, there's no need to separate them before baking. Beat the egg yolk with a splash of water and brush the tops, avoiding the cut edges. Sprinkle over the black and white sesame seeds.
4. Chill briefly
- If your kitchen is warm or the pastry has softened, chill the tray for 15 minutes before baking. This sets the butter back into the layers.
5. Bake and serve
- Bake for about 20 minutes, until golden, crisp and well puffed. Cool for a couple of minutes, then gently separate them. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes
- For a dip alongside, mix full-fat cream cheese with finely chopped chives, a squeeze of lemon and a pinch of black pepper. You can also dollop a little onto each bite just before serving.
- Best eaten fresh, but leftovers are lovely cold the next day with a squeeze of lemon.
- These can be assembled and frozen unbaked, then baked straight from frozen.