Smoked Salmon Phyllo Bites with Honey & Caviar Rosette
This is one of Dr. De La Cruz' recipe presented at the Texas Taste Teaser Celebrity Chef Competition. Twenty six (26) celebrity and professional chefs participated in this competition. The recipe won "The Most Delicious" Chef Award by celebrity judges in Houston.
Macaron By Patisse won the "People's Choice Award" and Dr. De La Cruz won the "Most Delicious" Chef Award at the Texas Taste Teaser Celebrity Chef Competition.
INGREDIENTS
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons dill
3 dashes of Worcesteshire sauce (Lea & Perrins')
8 ounces sliced smoked salmon
2 tablespoons of sweetened butter
16 Oz Pegasus or Athens Fillo/Phyllo Dough & Local Honey
DIRECTIONS
Combine the cream cheese, lemon juice, Worcesteshire sauce, butter, and dill in a bowl until completely blended.
On a piece of waxed paper, arrange the smoked salmon slices in a rectangle about 3 inches wide and 12 inches long, slightly overlapping each piece. (If the salmon slices are cut irregularly, simply piece them together like a puzzle.)
Spread a thin layer of the cream cheese mixture on the salmon, sprinkle with dill (optional), and roll up like a jellyroll.
Place the salmon roll with cream cheese in the freezer for 1 hour or prior to serving, then cut into 1/2-inch slices. Place each pinwheel atop the phyllo with honey inside the phyllo. Place some caviar and garnish (parsley) on top of the salmon pinwheel.
DIRECTIONS to MAKE PHYLLO SHELLS
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Spray a mini muffin tin with cooking spray. Get the phyllo dough ready by opening the thawed package and putting all of the sheets of dough on large clean cookie sheet. Cover the sheets of dough with a piece of waxed paper and then put a damp kitchen towel on top of the waxed paper. Melt your butter, grab your pastry brush and a pizza cutter or knife. As an alternative, one can spray each phyllo dough with cooking spray. When you are ready put one piece of phyllo dough on a large cutting board, cover the rest, and then carefully but quickly brush it with butter. Place another sheet on top and repeat until you have 5 sheets of dough total. Brush the top sheet with butter too.
Cut the phyllo dough into 12 rectangles (the sheets are rectangles, so cut the long side into 4 pieces and the short side into 3 pieces). Pick up one rectangle and push the center into the bottom of the muffin tin holes. Press on the sides gently to make a cup. Repeat with the remaining dough pieces. Bake until they are light golden, about 8 minutes, being careful not to let them burn. Then remove the phyllo shells from the tray. Sprinkle the phyllo shells with honey and then bake for another 1 to 2 minutes. Cool completely before using.
