Chilled Cucumber Soup With Smoked Salmon And Dill Recipes

CHILLED CUCUMBER SOUP WITH SMOKED SALMON AND DILL

Steps:

• Melt butter in heavy large pot over medium heat. Add onions and sauté until slightly softened, about 3 minutes. Add cucumbers and potato; stir 1 minute. Add broth, dill sprigs, and 1 teaspoon salt. Increase heat and bring to simmer. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer until cucumbers and potato are tender, stirring occasionally, about 25 minutes. Working in batches, puree soup in processor until smooth. Return to pot. Cool 15 minutes. Whisk in 1/2 cup crème fraîche and 4 tablespoons minced dill. Cover and chill until cold, about 4 hours. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Keep chilled.) Taste soup, adding more salt if desired. Ladle soup into 6 bowls. Place dollop of crème fraîche in center of each bowl; sprinkle with smoked salmon and remaining 2 tablespoons minced dill.

CHILLED SALMON WITH CUCUMBER-DILL SAUCE

Steps:

• In a large skillet, combine the water, wine, onions and peppercorns. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; carefully add salmon. Cover and cook for 5-7 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork., With a spatula, carefully remove salmon; discard cooking liquid. Cool salmon for 10 minutes; refrigerate until chilled. In a small bowl, combine the sauce ingredients. Serve with salmon.

CUCUMBER CUPS WITH DILL CREAM AND SMOKED SALMON

Steps:

• Trim ends from cucumbers and cut crosswise into 24 (3/4-inch-thick) rounds. Scoop a 1/2-inch-deep depression from one side of each round with a small melon-baller, forming little cups. Drain cucumbers, cup sides down, on paper towels for 15 minutes.
• Beat cream cheese, chopped dill, lemon zest, lemon juice, and black pepper together in a bowl. Spoon 1/2 teaspoon cheese mixture into each cucumber cup. Top each cup with 1 salmon strip and 1 dill sprig.

CHILLED CUCUMBER SOUP WITH WARM SALMON

Steps:

• Peel the cucumbers, halve them lengthwise and scrape out the seeds with a teaspoon, reserving seeds. Cut up the cucumbers, setting aside a one-and-one-half-inch length for garnish if desired, and place in a food processor with the yogurt and dill. Puree until smooth. Transfer the puree to a mixing bowl; whisk in the cream. Place the reserved cucumber seeds in the food processor and process briefly. Strain the liquid from the seeds into the puree (this adds more cucumber flavor); discard the seeds. Season the soup with salt and cayenne; cover and chill at least two hours.
• At serving time, cut the reserved cucumber into quarter-inch cubes; salt lightly and set aside. Heat a thin film of olive oil in a heavy skillet, preferably nonstick. Pat the squares of salmon dry; season lightly with salt, if desired. Add the salmon to the skillet and saute quickly over medium heat, turning once, until lightly golden, about two minutes total. Place three pieces of salmon in each soup bowl; place diced cucumber and a sprig of dill in the center. Pour the cold soup gently over the warm salmon and serve immediately.