Smoked salmon bagel with whipped cream cheese and quick pickled cucumber
A smoked salmon bagel should be simple. Cream cheese, silky smoked salmon, something sharp on the side. Done. But after making this more times than I can count, I started adding a quick cucumber and red onion pickle and whipping the cream cheese with lemon and chives. It’s still simple, but it tastes a little more "put-together".
Equipment
- Electric hand mixer or whisk
Ingredients
For the quick cucumber pickle (15 min)
- 4 tablespoons apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- zest from half a lemon
- 1 tablespoon dill, finely chopped
- ½ large cucumber, ribboned with a vegetable peeler (lengthways)
- ¼ small red onion, very thinly sliced
For the cream cheese
- 150 grams (5.3oz) full-fat cream cheese
- 1-2 tablespoons milk or cream
- zest from half a lemon
- 1½ tablespoons chives, finely chopped
For the bagels
- 2 seeded bagels
- 100 grams (3.5oz) smoked salmon
Instructions
Quick cucumber pickle
- In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, sugar, salt, lemon zest and chopped dill until the sugar has dissolved.4 tablespoons apple cider vinegar, 1 tablespoon sugar, ½ teaspoon salt, zest from half a lemon, 1 tablespoon dill, finely chopped
- Add the cucumber ribbons and sliced red onion, then toss gently to coat everything in the pickling liquid. Leave to pickle for 15 minutes, giving it a gentle mix once or twice so all the pieces soak evenly.½ large cucumber, ribboned with a vegetable peeler (lengthways), ¼ small red onion, very thinly sliced
Whip the cream cheese
- In a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese with the cream or milk for about 2 minutes until smooth, light and fluffy.150 grams (5.3oz) full-fat cream cheese, 1-2 tablespoons milk or cream
- Stir through the lemon zest and chopped chives until evenly combined.zest from half a lemon, 1½ tablespoons chives, finely chopped
Toast the bagels
- Slice the bagels in half and lightly butter the cut sides.2 seeded bagels
- Place them buttered side down in a frying pan over medium heat and toast until golden and crisp.
Assemble the bagels
- Spread a generous layer of whipped cream cheese over the warm toasted bagels.
- Arrange the smoked salmon in soft folds for height and texture.100 grams (3.5oz) smoked salmon
- Lift the cucumber ribbons from the pickle, letting any excess liquid drip off, then pile them loosely over the salmon. Scatter over the pickled onion slices.
- Add a few fresh dill sprigs, a twist of black pepper and a final touch of lemon zest. If you like, finish with a light scattering of sesame or poppy seeds.
Notes
Top tips:
- Don’t skip the lemon. It lifts everything and keeps the flavours from feeling heavy.
- These are best assembled fresh, while the bagels are still warm and crisp.
- Make sure to drain the cucumber well before adding it to the bagels so it doesn’t release excess liquid and soften the toast.
Nutrition
Calories: 659kcal | Carbohydrates: 70g | Protein: 26g | Fat: 30g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 88mg | Sodium: 1785mg | Potassium: 457mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 1232IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 125mg | Iron: 2mg
