Smoked Salmon
Choux Buns.
Light, crisp choux buns filled with smoked salmon and a cheese & chive cream. The perfect, crowd pleasing canapé, that looks a lot harder than it is!
They pair perfectly with this Cremant de Loire from Forest Wines. Use code ‘CCCWINES15’ for 15% off your order.
Over 18s only - Please drink responsibly.
Serves approx. 20 choux buns, depending on size
Tips & Tricks:
Eggs: Add gradually and beat well — the dough may look split at first but will come back together. You may not need every last drop of egg — stop once the dough is glossy, smooth and pipeable.
Crisp finish: Don’t open the oven during baking or the choux buns may collapse.
Make ahead: the dough and filling can be made in advance and kept refrigerated in it’s piping bags until needed.
Ingredients.
Choux Buns:
113g / ½ cup unsalted butter
120ml / ½ cup water
120ml / ½ cup whole milk
¼ tsp fine salt
2 tsp caster sugar
125g / 1 cup plain flour
4 large eggs, beaten (you may not need all)
Filling:
165g / 6 oz (about ¾ cup) full-fat cream cheese, e.g. Philadelphia
165g / ⅔ cup crème fraîche
100g / 3½ oz smoked salmon
Zest of 1 lemon
Small bunch fresh chives
Sea salt
To garnish:
Extra chopped chives
Trout roe or caviar (optional)
Equipment.
large oven tray
saucepan
stand/hand mixer
piping bags and nozzles
greaseproof/parchment paper
Method.
Preheat the oven to 200°C conventional / 180°C fan / 400°F. Line two baking trays with parchment and lightly brush the parchment with water.
To make the choux buns, add the butter, water, milk, salt and sugar to a medium saucepan and heat until the butter has melted.
Bring to the boil then add the flour all at once.
Stir vigorously until a smooth dough forms. Cook for 1 minute, pressing the dough against the sides and base of the pan, until it pulls away cleanly and looks slightly dry.
Transfer the dough to a bowl/bowl of a stand mixer and leave to cool for 2–3 minutes so it’s warm but not hot.
Beat in the eggs gradually, mixing well between additions, until the dough looks like a smooth, shiny cake batter consistency, but stickier. You may not need all of the egg.
Transfer the dough to a piping bag fitted with a small round nozzle (or just cut the end) Pipe small buns onto the trays, leaving space between each. Each bun should be roughly 1.5tbsp of dough.
Use a damp finger to smooth any peaks, then bake for 18-25 minutes, until golden, risen and crisp. Note: If you are cooking the dough from chilled (you made it in advance) you may find they take a little longer, or you can crank the oven up to 220°C conventional / 200°C fan.
Transfer to a rack and allow to cool completely before filling. For extra dryness, pierce the base of each bun with a skewer once cooled to release steam.
To make the filling, whisk together the cream cheese and crème fraîche until smooth. Season generously, then stir through the chopped chives and lemon zest. Adjust to taste and transfer to a piping bag until ready to serve.
To assemble, cut the buns in half (keeping the two halves attached) and pipe in the filling. Cut the smoked salmon into strips and arrange on top so it’s just visible. Finish with chives and trout roe or caviar, if using, and serve.
