Smoked salmon cucumber bites with lemon and dill

Method

1. Pat the cucumber dry and cut crosswise into 20 rounds, each about 1.2 cm thick. Scoop a very shallow hollow from each center without cutting through. Blot again and arrange on a chilled platter.
2. Beat the cream cheese until smooth. Stir in the yogurt, lemon zest, lemon juice, chopped dill, capers, and pepper. Taste before adding salt; the salmon and capers are already salty.
3. Spoon or pipe about 2 teaspoons filling into each cucumber hollow.
4. Tear the salmon into 20 strips and fold one loosely onto each bite. Finish with tiny dill sprigs if wanted and keep chilled.

Make-Ahead and Storage

• Mix the filling up to 1 day ahead; keep cucumber and salmon separate.
• Assemble no more than 4 hours before serving and keep at 4°C or colder.
• After opening the salmon, follow the package’s shorter use-by instruction. Do not keep assembled leftovers beyond the next day; discard bites left at room temperature for more than 2 hours.
• Freezing is not recommended.

Notes

• Gluten-free when all packaged ingredients are verified.
• FDA guidance advises pregnant people and others at increased risk of foodborne illness to avoid refrigerated smoked seafood unless it is cooked in a dish; offer a different starter for those guests.

Sources Consulted

• Food Network, “Smoked Salmon Cucumber Bites”
• FDA, “Selecting and Serving Fresh and Frozen Seafood Safely”
• FDA, “Ready-to-Eat Foods”