Who doesn’t love the French custom of apéro—gathering with family and friends to enjoy a pre-dinner aperitif and appetite-teasing snacks (amuse-bouches)? To accompany the beverages, food offerings may include items that you can purchase easily, such as olives, nuts, charcuterie, and crudités. But if you would like to spoil your guests, I suggest that you serve these smoked salmon verrines for your next apéro get-together.
Similar to a parfait, a verrine consists of complementary ingredients layered in a small glass. The name is derived from verre, the French word for glass. Verrines are popular in France but have yet to catch on this side of the Atlantic. The concept is extremely flexible; a verrine may be served as a dessert or as a savory appetizer, like this one, which contrasts crisp cucumber with tender smoked salmon and a dill-scented cream sauce. Santé!
Ingredients
1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
¼ cup whole milk or low-fat plain yogurt (not Greek yogurt)
3 tablespoons chopped fresh dill, plus sprigs for garnish
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
4 ounces thinly sliced smoked salmon
1 cup diced seeded English (also called European) cucumber
2 tablespoons finely diced red onion
2 teaspoons drained capers, rinsed and patted dry
Toasted baguette slices for serving
Preparation
1. Place the cream cheese in a medium mixing bowl and beat with a portable electric mixer until smooth and creamy. Add the yogurt and beat until smooth. Remove the beaters. Add the dill and mix with a flexible spatula. Season with a pinch of salt and a few grinds of pepper. Set aside.
2. Select 4 attractive thin slices of smoked salmon. Roll each slice into a rose shape. Chop the remaining smoked salmon. You should have about ½ cup. Set the smoked salmon aside.
3. Protect the rims of four 4- or 5-ounce glasses or mason jars with strips of plastic wrap. Spoon about 2 tablespoons of the cucumber into each glass. Top each one with scant 2 tablespoons of the dill-cream cheese mixture. Divide the chopped smoked salmon among the glasses. Sprinkle ½ tablespoon onion and ½ teaspoon capers over the salmon. Season with pepper. Add a second layer of the dill-cream cheese mixture, followed by the remaining cucumber. Top each verrine with a dollop of the remaining dill-cream cheese mixture and a smoked salmon rose. Remove the strips of plastic wrap. (The verrines will keep, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.)
4.Just before serving, garnish each verrine with a dill sprig. Serve with baguette toasts, if desired.
Makes 4 servings.
—Patsy Jamieson