Elegant Smoked Salmon and Creme Fraiche on Endive Spears

When you’re looking for a super easy, tasty, and elegant appetizer that’s gorgeous on the plate…try my Elegant Smoked Salmon and Creme Fraiche on Endive Spears.

Just cut up some smoked salmon, add some lemon juice and chives, and set aside. Separate some small heads of endive into separate leaves, or “spears”, and wash/dry.

Mix some more lemon juice into creme fraiche — available in your grocer’s dairy case.

To assemble, spoon some smoked salmon mixture into the endive spears, then add a dollop of lemony creme fraiche, sprinkle with chives, and arrange on a platter. Simple, elegant, and pretty! Your guests will love them because they’re tasty and easy to eat.

Use fresh dill instead of chives for a different presentation and taste.

Enjoy!

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From the kitchen of A Food Lover’s Delight….

Elegant Smoked Salmon and Creme Fraiche on Endive Spears

Ingredients:

4 oz. smoked salmon
2 T freshly squeezed lemon juice, divided
1 T chives, finely chopped, divided
6 oz creme fraiche (usually found in dairy section of grocery store)
Endive spears (two heads should be enough)

Method:

1. Chop salmon into 1/4 inch pieces.
2. Mix salmon with 1 T lemon juice and 1/2 T chives
3. Let sit a few minutes for the flavors to meld.
4. Remove the stem ends from the endive and separate into whole leaves.
5. Wash and dry the endive leaves being careful not to break them.
6. Stir the remaining 1 T lemon juice into the creme fraiche
7. Put a dollop of creme fraiche on each endive spear.
8. Place about a tablespoonful of the salmon mixture on each spear adjoining the creme fraiche.
9. Sprinkle the endive spears with the remaining chives.
10. Serve on a platter as an appetizer.

Makes about 20 endive spears. You can fill the endive spear with the salmon mixture and place the lemony creme fraiche on top of the salmon, or vice versa. I’ve found that the presentation is nicer with the salmon side-by-side with the creme fraiche.

Variations: Subsitute fresh dill for the chives for a different flavor. Use smoked trout or another smoked whitefish instead of the salmon and add some chopped dried cranberries or cherries for color and additional tang. Add some additional minced herbs such as dill or parsley and some chopped shallots to the creme fraiche.

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