This year for Mike’s Valentine’s Day brunch I decided to veer away from a traditional heavier meal. We have eaten so many heavy foods lately with the holidays and such a cold winter. This morning called for a brighter and lighter take.
This smoked salmon on sourdough is an incredibly simple dish that really just requires some time on the prep side. Once everything is pulled together it can be designed however you like. You can serve it as a “board” like charcuterie for each person to assemble or do the assembly ahead of time and serve.
For this presentation I use Acme smoked salmon out of Brooklyn (https://acmesmokedfish.com). It is relatively inexpensive and easy to find at most any grocer. There are certainly more high end smoked salmons out there and I would love to try this with a smoked salmon from the seafood markets, but this one works just fine.
Additionally, I use the following:
Sourdough
Garlic Herb Aloette (https://www.alouettecheese.com/products/garlic-and-herbs-soft-spreadable-cheese)
Fennel
Radicchio
Radish
Cucumber
Curly Parsley
Boiled egg
Capers
Shallot
I wash and dice most everything into bite sized pieces except the radicchio and radish, which I slice. I also thinly slice the smoked salmon. I grate the boiled egg finely with a microplane.
I slice the sourdough on an angle into thin pieces, butter and toast.
Now it’s ready to assemble. I recommend slathering a healthy spread of the Aloette first and then begin layering.
The flavors really do complement one another so well. The brine of the capers, bite of the radicchio and radish, crunch of the cucumber and fennel, and the smokiness of the salmon, which of course is the star of the show. You will definitely want more than one!
Word of advice, this is not a tidy dish! You’ll need napkins and probably a fork. But, as Mike said, no one ever said messy doesn’t mean it isn’t delicious! Happy Valentine’s Day! 💕
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