Preparation
- Stir the cream cheese, crème fraîche, lemon juice and mustard until creamy, or blitz briefly in a blender until smooth; grind plenty of pepper over it.
- Cut the smoked salmon into small cubes and fold into the cream with the spring onions, capers and chopped dill. For a smooth spread, blitz everything briefly together; for more bite, just pulse briefly or stir by hand.
- Season the spread with pepper and a little more lemon juice and leave to chill for at least 30 minutes so the flavours can develop.
- Garnish with dill and serve with warm toast, grissini or crackers.
Drink with it
Sparkling wine · excellent match
Champagne or Crémant, brut
Smoked salmon and Champagne belong together: the bubbles and acidity cut through the cream cheese, and the yeasty note stands up to the smoke.
Sparkling wine, Champagne, and Prosecco: what's the difference?White wine · excellent match
Dry Riesling or Chablis
Taut acidity picks up the lemon and keeps the fat and salt of the salmon in check.
Which wine pairs with food? A simple approach to choosingVodka · excellent match
Vodka, ice cold, neat
Smoked salmon is a classic partner for ice-cold vodka, as with salmon on blini: the cold and neutral spirit clear fat, salt and smoke from the palate.
What Is Vodka? Raw Materials, Flavor, and CocktailsFloral gin · excellent match
Gin and tonic made with a floral gin, a twist of lemon and a sprig of dill
Smoked salmon with a gin and tonic is a British classic: the herbs and citrus in a floral gin pick up the dill and lemon, while the fizz and the bitterness of the tonic lighten the cream cheese.
Gin styles: London Dry, Old Tom, Navy Strength, and more