If you own my friend Leah Koenig’s book, The Little Book of Jewish Appetizers, you might recognize these little bites of smoked fish. If you don’t own my friend Leah Koenig’s book, what are you doing with your life? Here.
The photos, of course, are new—those tell-tale edible flowers always give me away—but we owe the general idea and deliciousness to Leah. She’s actually contributed several of her recipes to the blog just in time for the High Holidays, and I, for one, am very excited about that.
Okay, back to the smoked fish.
“Smoked trout may not be as well known within Jewish cuisine as lox or cured herring, but it makes a worthy addition to any fish plate,” Leah tells us. “First brined and then hot-smoked over wood, trout fillets come out of the smoker tender and delicately flavored.”
Yum.
These canapés pair that smoked trout with a bright, tangy, cream-cheese-based spread, which you’ll have on your table or buffet in less than 10 minutes. A true low-stress starter. (By the way, you can always buy the trout ready-made, as I did when making these.)
Of course, Rosh Hashanah is really just one of many occasions that could benefit from the addition of smoked fish: “I like to lay out a tray of them at a Hanukkah party to give guests something substantial to nibble on while the latkes are frying,” Leah says. Personally, I’m thinking of serving these at our break-fast later in the fall. Stay tuned…
Smoked Trout Canapés
Description
Smoked trout may not be as well known within Jewish cuisine as lox or cured herring, but it makes a worthy addition to any fish plate. First brined and then hot-smoked over wood, trout fillets come out of the smoker tender and delicately flavored. These canapés pair smoked trout with a bright and creamy spread and come together in about 10 minutes, making them a low-stress, high-impact starter or appetizer. I like to lay out a tray of them at a Hanukkah party to give guests something substantial to nibble on while the latkes are frying.
Ingredients
- 6 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon brine-packed capers, drained
- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 scallions, white and green parts, thinly sliced
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 12 slices pumpernickel bread, cut into 3-inch squares or circles (tip: buy a sliced loaf and use a cookie cutter to create the shapes)
- 8 ounces smoked trout, bones removed, flaked
- Snipped fresh chives, for serving
- Optional: Edible flowers, for serving
Instructions
- Combine the cream cheese, capers, lemon juice, scallions, and a pinch of salt in a food processor and process until smooth.
- Spread a rounded tablespoon of the cream cheese mixture onto each piece of bread. Layer a few flakes of trout on top and sprinkle with chives and black pepper to taste. Serve immediately.