Eight years ago, a friend who almost became my sister-in-law brought a lovely dish for our Christmas party — molded cream cheese dip held together by a wall of smoked salmon and topped with caviar. My version of this no-bake smoked salmon cheesecake is less fancy but just as delicious.
Finely sliced scallions in lieu of the pricey caviar. But the amount of smoke salmon is generous. No paper-thin slices. The slices of smoked salmon were thick —about a quarter of an inch. And I made no attempt to cut them thinner. Why should I? This is a smoke salmon dish and the fish should take center stage.
MY LATEST VIDEOSBut the salmon is not just on the walls holding the cream cheese together. There’s chopped smoked salmon in the cream cheese too along with finely cut vegetables.
Why call it a cheesecake? Because it is, really, but not a sweet one. It’s a savory cheesecake that you can served sliced thinly on top of toast.
I used a mold to make the savory cheesecake but you can use any flat-bottomed bowl with straight sides. You can prepare the smoked salmon cheesecake several hours ahead and keep it in the fridge. Remove from the mold just before serving.
And while the cheesecake chills, it’s the perfect time to slice a baguette and toast the slices in the oven.
When the smoked salmon cheesecake is cold, simply unwrap, remove the mold, top with scallions and serve. It’s definitely a lovely appetizer to serve over the coming holidays. Even the colors are Christmassy!
No-bake Smoked Salmon Cheesecake
Ingredients
- 1 to 1 and 1/2 cups smoked salmon and cream cheese spread
- 6 to 8 slices smoked salmon
- 2 tablespoons finely sliced scallions
Instructions
- Cut a large square of cling wrap. Press onto the sides and bottom of your bowl (or mold). Press the slices of smoked salmon on the sides of the bowl or mold to a height of at least two inches.
- Spoon the smoked salmon and cream cheese spread into the mold or bowl pressing down lightly with the back of the spoon to make sure that there are no air pockets inside.
- Gather the edges of the cling wrap to cover the top of the filling. Chill. You can keep the cheesecake in the fridge for 24 hours.
- About ten minutes before you serve your smoked salmon cheesecake, thinly slice some bread and toast them.
- Take the cheesecake out of the fridge and open up the cling wrap on top. Invert on a plate. Peel off the cling wrap.
- Arrange the toasted bread around the no-bake smoked salmon cheesecake and serve at once.
Recipe Notes
Originally posted in December 28, 2010.
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