Hearty Smoked Salmon Hor D'oeuvre

At my house, we occasionally have nights where we don't want to cook a full meal; we break out the hearty appetizers and munch away.  Tonight we had shrimp cocktail, foie gras from the freezer (which was delicious!), and this smoked salmon appetizer, which I have been making some version of since I was about 8.  It is delicious and easy and you can put whatever kind of spin on it that suits your own taste! 

I think this appetizer started with crackers and cream cheese and slowly evolved into its current state.  We tried to get with the low-carb program and substitute a cucumber for the cracker.  It was an excellent decision. 


Start out with a peeled English cucumber and slice it in semi-thick circles.  You want it thick enough to hold the topping without making a mess.

Mix up about 4 ounces of sour cream with chives.  They can be dry or fresh.  We tend to use a lot because we like onions in our house.  I'd say start with about a tablespoon and work your way up until you find your preferred proportions.  Mix it in a small dish.

Arrange the cucumbers on a plate or a platter and put a spoonful of sour cream on top of them.

They looks so fancy this way!  I love it!  Thanks Mom!  Buy a package of smoked salmon from your grocery store and cut it into bite sized pieces that will fit the cucumbers.  Place a piece or two over each cucumber slice.  We've found that putting the salmon on top keeps the sour cream from being too messy!

Add a little dollop of caviar to the top.  There is such a thing as affordable caviar--so don't think this is only for snobs.  It's maybe $5 - $10 at most grocery stores.  You don't have to go fancy on this, it's delicious even without the beluga.

And there you have it.  Garnish with a bit of diced red onion and fresh dill.  The onion adds a little bite and the dill adds to the freshness of the dish.  You could serve this an appetizer for guests or make it for dinner one night!

It's a great dish before a big holiday meal!

I am still learning about the "food photography" part of this blog, so please be patient while I fight my way through it!  Also here is a picture of the foie gras because it was so delicious and SO easy.

We bought ours frozen.  All you have to do is defrost them, sprinkle a little sea salt on each side, and sear for 2 minutes on each side.  Yum.  Foie gras is my favorite.  You could jazz it up with a sauce of some sort, but we have been preparing all day for our meal tomorrow.  We were all thrilled with how it turned out in its simplicity!

Smoked Salmon Hor D'oeurve
1 package smoked salmon
1 jar caviar (I use black)
4-6 ounces sour cream
1 tablespoon chopped chives (add more if you want!)
1 English cucumber, peeled and sliced
1/2 red onion diced
1 small bunch of dill