Salmon & Shrimp Checkerboard
Spread cream cheese on 18 bread slices, lay on the smoked salmon, trim into squares, and sprinkle with a caper gremolata minced from red onion, capers, dill, parsley and lemon zest. Pulse the shrimp with the mayonnaise, sour cream, lemon juice, celery and parsley into a smooth paste, season, and spread it on 18 bread slices. Trim each slice into squares and top with a bit of caviar. Alternate the squares to form a checkerboard and garnish with lemon and dill.
Some appetizers are meant to make an entrance, and this one arrives like a small work of art. Squares of smoked salmon and a silky shrimp spread alternate into a checkerboard, the salmon crowned with bright gremolata and the shrimp with a glistening bead of caviar. It is the kind of first course that makes guests pause and admire before they taste — and the loveliest part is that nearly all of it is assembled ahead, leaving you free to greet your guests rather than fuss in the kitchen.
Preparing the Two Toppings
Whip the shrimp spread until it is smooth and light, and have your smoked salmon sliced clean and even. These two components are the checkerboard's dark and light squares, so a little care in making them uniform pays off handsomely when it all comes together on the platter.
Assembling the Checkerboard
Lay the base out neatly and alternate the salmon and shrimp squares into a tidy checkerboard, then finish with a scatter of gremolata and small jewels of caviar. Work patiently and the pattern rewards you — the finished platter looks composed and luxurious, far beyond the modest effort it took.
Salmon & Shrimp Checkerboard
Ingredients
Method
- Spread the cream cheese on one side of 18 bread slices.
- Lay smoked salmon slices on top of the cream cheese. Use a sharp knife to trim the bread into neat squares.
- Place the red onion, capers, dill, parsley and lemon zest onto a cutting board. Use a sharp knife to finely mince these ingredients to create a caper gremolata. Sprinkle just a bit of this gremolata onto all of the salmon squares.
- Place the shrimp into the bowl of a food processor.
- Add the mayonnaise, sour cream, lemon juice, celery and parsley.
- Pulse to combine into a smooth paste. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
- Spread the shrimp paste onto 18 bread slices.
- Use a very sharp knife to trim each slice into neat squares. Top each square with just a bit of caviar.
- Alternate the squares to form a checkerboard.
- Garnish the platter with thinly sliced lemon and fresh dill.
Notes
The Heart of the Table
An appetizer this beautiful is a gift to your guests before a word is spoken — it says the evening was worth dressing up for. There is real hospitality in the effort to make something lovely to look at, a small ceremony that welcomes people in and sets the tone for a generous night ahead.
The Art of the Host
Assemble the checkerboard on the platter you will serve it from so you never have to move it, and add the caviar and gremolata at the very last moment so they stay bright and fresh. Keep it well chilled until the guests arrive, then bring it out to admiring eyes.
Neighborly Grace
- The Preparation: The shrimp spread and the sliced salmon can both be prepared a day ahead and kept cold, so the evening asks only for assembly. Add the gremolata and caviar just before serving so those final flourishes stay vivid.
- The Pour: A glass of crisp Champagne or a dry Blanc de Blancs is the natural partner to smoked salmon and caviar; for a non-alcoholic pour, a chilled elderflower and sparkling water spritz brings the same festive lift to the toast.
- The Vibe: Present it on a sleek platter as a passed or stationed first bite, with cocktail napkins close at hand. This is a celebratory, glass-in-hand sort of appetizer — perfect for the opening moments of a party, when the room is filling and the night is full of promise.