Description
Delicious and elegant cucumber canapés filled with a creamy smoked salmon mousse, perfect for appetizers or party snacks. This recipe combines smooth smoked salmon mousse with fresh cucumber slices, garnished with dill and lemon for a light and refreshing bite.
Ingredients
Scale
Salmon Mousse
- 150g / 5 oz smoked salmon
- 150g / 5 oz cream cheese, softened (Philadelphia recommended)
- 2 tbsp / 30g sour cream
- 2 tbsp / 40g mayonnaise
- 1/3 cup fresh dill, roughly chopped (or substitute with chives)
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 2 tsp lemon zest (from 1 lemon)
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
For Assembly
- 3 long cucumbers (Telegraph / English) or 6 standard cucumbers
- Extra dill sprigs for garnish
- Lemon slices for serving
Instructions
- Prepare Salmon Mousse: Place all mousse ingredients—smoked salmon, cream cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise, dill, garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt, and pepper—into a food processor. Blitz until the mixture is completely smooth, scraping down the sides as needed to ensure even blending.
- Chill the Mousse: Fit a piping bag with a wide star tip nozzle (about 1.5-2cm or 0.6-0.75 inches wide). Transfer the smoked salmon mousse into the piping bag, then refrigerate for 5 hours to allow it to firm up and develop flavors.
- Prepare Cucumbers: Slice the cucumbers into 1.5cm (0.6 inch) thick rounds. Using a small melon baller or teaspoon, carefully scoop out a small well from the center of each cucumber slice—this will hold the mousse.
- Assemble Canapés: Pipe the chilled smoked salmon mousse into the cucumber wells. Garnish each canapé with a sprig of fresh dill and serve immediately with lemon slices on the side for an extra burst of citrus freshness.
Notes
- Use good quality smoked salmon for best flavor and texture.
- Philadelphia cream cheese is ideal for producing a smooth mousse but any softened cream cheese can be used.
- Adjust salt and pepper to taste, keeping in mind the saltiness of the smoked salmon.
- English cucumbers have fewer seeds and thinner skin, making them perfect for this recipe, but regular cucumbers can be used if peeled and seeded properly.
- The mousse can be prepared a day ahead and refrigerated to save time.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: No-Cook
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: smoked salmon mousse, cucumber canapés, party appetizers, no-cook recipe, light snacks
