If you're after a quick starter to serve before Christmas dinner, try salmon and quails eggs. It's tasty, takes only minutes to make and looks really impressive too!
Ingredients
You'll need:
- 12 quails' eggs (most good supermarkets stock these)
- 2tsp hot horseradish / 4 tsp horseradish sauce
- 200ml carton crème fraîche
- 8 thin slices rye bread
- 8-12 slices smoked salmon
- 150g bag wild rocket
- 4tsp olive oil, for drizzling
- 2 lemons, each cut into 6 wedges
- Freshly ground black pepper
Method
- Add the quails' eggs to a pan of boiling water. Bring back to the boil and simmer for 2½ minutes. Drain and cool under running water. Peel, rinse and drain.
- Just before serving, mix the horseradish into the crème fraîche in the carton, then put a heaped teaspoonful on each serving plate, on one side, and smear it down with the spoon, if you like. Start toasting the bread.
- Halve the quails' eggs. Arrange the salmon and eggs on the plate, then add a few rocket leaves on top. 4 Drizzle each plate with a little olive oil and squeeze lemon juice over, saving 8 lemon wedges for garnish. Grind black pepper over. Serve with the toast.
Top Tip for making Smoked salmon with eggs
The eggs can be boiled and peeled the day before and kept in a bowl or polybag in the fridge. Quails' eggs are great for snacking on, so buy two packs and keep the extras, peeled, in the fridge ready for peckish moments. They stay fresh for up to two days.