Cream Cheese, Smoked Salmon & Avocado Verrines

Serves: 12

Choosing which appetiser to serve at a dinner party can be tricky. There are so many options, and sometimes, it feels like everything has been done before.

And when you’re hosting a dinner party (or any type of gathering for that matter), the worst thing you could do is serve boring finger foods.

When searching for an appetiser to serve at your next gathering, think about something less expected than basic cheese, crackers, nuts and olives.

You could opt for vegetarian dips (think hot peppers stuffed with cream cheese), tomato tarts with goat cheese or fennel-wrapped breadsticks.

But if you’re looking for something beyond typical fare, look no further than verrines.

These small, elegant mini bowls will make your friends do a double take when they see them on the table. It may seem intimidating to try making these, but they’re actually surprisingly easy (plus made even more straightforward when following our recipes).

Ingredients:

2 large avocados
Lemon juice from one lemon
Salt and pepper to taste
130g of smoked salmon, shredded
Red onion, finely chopped (optional)
250g of cream cheese
2 tablespoons (30ml) of fresh parsley, chopped
2 tablespoons (30ml) of chives, chopped
Decorate according to your inspiration: lime slices, dill leaves, fish eggs, melba toast etc.

Method

Beat the cream cheese, parsley and chives together and fill your verrines with a spoon.

Then you have to shred the smoked salmon with a knife and add the red onions. This will be the second layer so spoon it into the 12 small verrines.

Next, you have to use a food processor where you will add the avocados, some lemon juice, salt and pepper, and process it until it is creamy. Again spoon it into the 12 small verrines, as this will be the top layer.

Finally, decorate as you please and keep them refrigerated. Always serve at room temperature, and keep in mind that the avocado blacks quickly in the open air so don’t prepare them too early.

We hope you enjoy this fast and delicious recipe as much as we do…