A favorite one-bite hors-d'oeuvre of mine this holiday season is Smoked Salmon Crisps. I like to eat them, I like to make them, and I like to serve them. They are super fancy and refined, yet embarrassingly simple to prepare. I take a vast and rewarding shortcut by baking egg roll wrappers for the "cracker" and using a cookie cutter to quickly stamp out these cute circles.
Smoked salmon can be pricey, somewhere between $1.50 and 4.00 per ounce. Since I dress up the sliced salmon with lemon zest and chives, I usually opt for less expensive salmon and have never been disappointed.
Ingredients
Wonton wrappers (These are usually found packaged in the produce section)
Olive oil
Kosher salt and pepper
6 ounces smoked salmon, rough chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons shallot, chopped very finely
1 1/2 teaspoons chives, chopped very finely, plus a few snipped, for garnish
1/4 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1/2 cup crème fraîche (Found near deli in cheese section)
Baking the crisps
Using either a 2-inch cookie cutter to stamp out a small circle, or a kitchen knife to cut into squares, trim the wonton wrappers until they are bite-size pieces.
Brush both sides with olive oil and baked on a rimmed baking sheet at 350 degrees for 5 minutes. Mine are not overly greasy, but if you find that yours did not absorb the oil well enough, blot with a paper towel before storing or serving.
The wontons can be baked and stored in an airtight container for up to two days ahead of time.
Salmon
In a medium bowl, combine the salmon with the shallot, chives, lemon zest and a pinch of kosher salt and pepper.
Spoon the salmon onto the crisps and top with a dollop of crème fraîche and a couple of snipped chives. Serve right away.