Grazing boards are my favorite way to entertain. Scratch that. They’re my favorite way to eat! Weather it’s Italian-style, 4th of July themed, or this breakfast version, there is just something about sharing a big platter of favorite foods with the people I love. My earlier cheese board and mezze platter with hummus are two good examples of easy no-cook platters I make often for my family. And now…this smoked salmon situation, which is a great one to serve as an appetizer or for brunch (just add a few easy boiled eggs). One of the best brunch recipes to please a crowd, and very photo-worthy too!
Bagel and lox on a platter!
Here’s the deal with this smoked salmon platter, takes the idea of bagel and lox to a whole new level of delicious…plus, a platter is much more sharable than a bagel! (But if you’re really in the mood for an option closer to lox and bagels, check out my smoked salmon sandwich with feta and a crunchy root vegetable topping.) You’ve got your smoked salmon (or lox), cream cheese (in my case, I used homemade labneh), red onions, and capers, which are the usual suspects to make a classic bagel with lox. From there, load up the platter with sliced fresh veggies and Mediterranean favorites like olives, marinated artichoke hearts, a few slices of feta, and lemon wedges! If I’m serving this for brunch, then the soft-boiled eggs are a must for me. Now, whether you serve this smoked salmon platter with a side of bagels or not, that’s totally optional.
How to buy good smoked salmon?
Some lucky ones will smoke their own fish, but for the rest of us who will buy it at the store, it’s important to examine the package well. Avoid buying smoked salmon if you see dark edges or spots on its flesh. And as salmon is an oily fish, it will have a bit of shine to it, but it should not look too oily or slimy (this is a sign that the fish hasn’t been properly cured). Also read look at the label, you should not see too much added salt or sugar listed for flavor (the smoking process already adds a lot of flavor)
How to make a smoked salmon platter
Much like I did with my earlier cheese board, let me offer these steps as a loose guide for how to put together a killer smoked salmon platter, but you can totally make it your own by changing things up according to what you have.
Smoked Salmon. You’ll want about 12 ounces to 1 pound of quality smoked salmon to serve a small crowd of 4 to 6 people. Eggs. This is optional, but I think they elevate this platter to something of a stand-alone light meal for brunch. I like easy boiled eggs here. Cheese. Cream cheese is the obvious option, but for a bit of Mediterranean twist, and perhaps healthier, I went for labneh (yogurt cheese). I also added slabs of feta cheese (I’m a big fan of feta and will find any way to use it. Have you checked out my baked feta recipe yet?) Fresh veggies. I like a combination of cool cucumbers and tomatoes with bold, peppery radish, red onion, and crispy green peppers. Slicing the veggies thinly into rounds makes them easy to stack with the salmon on top of your favorite cracker, bagel or whatever you serve along. Marinated items. Capers are a must, but I also like assorted olives and marinated artichoke hearts. You could also add pickled cucumbers if you have them or check out the olive bar at your local grocery store for some more marinated items (roasted red peppers or pickled mushrooms are great options too)! Lemon wedges to squeeze over the salmon. Crackers or your favorite bread to serve. Sure, you can still do bagels (or even Jerusalem bagels), particularly if you’re serving this for brunch. Garnish. If you have a few sprigs of thyme, fresh dill or parsley, add them in!
There are no particular ingredient measurements, but I still put together the recipe below just as a guide. It will serve 4 to 6 people, and you can double or triple the amount if you’re serving more.
Other party platters
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