Little Smoked Salmon Cucumber Cups With Peppered Creme Fraiche

Total Time: 15 mins Preparation Time: 15 mins

Ingredients

• 1 medium cucumber, cut into 1-inch slices
• 10 tablespoons creme fraiche
• zest of one large lemon
• fresh ground black pepper, to taste (about 2 teaspoons)
• 225 g smoked salmon (8 ozs)
• salt (optional)
• lemon slice, to garnish (optional)
• dill (optional) or parsley, to garnish (optional)

Recipe

• 1 cut the cucumber into 1 1/2 inch slices, and carefully hollow out the centre (with any seeds) with a pointed teaspoon, so you are left with a shallow hollow.
• 2 mix the lemon zest and black pepper with the crème fraiche and adjust seasoning to taste, adding the black pepper bit by bit to ensure a favourable taste! (we like ours quite peppery!) i have not suggested salt as the smoked salmon is salty, but do add salt to taste if you wish.
• 3 spoon a little seasoned crème fraiche into each cucumber cup, about 1 teaspoon per cup.
• 4 cut the smoked salmon into 6-inch long strips and about 1/2 inch wide, and curl them around to make a little circle, then place the circle of smoked salmon on top of the crème fraiche.
• 5 garnish with lemon slices if you wish, or with dill or parsley. makes about 30 according to size of cucumber.
• 6 you can prepare the cucumber cups and crème fraiche several hours beforehand- cover them and store them in the fridge; assemble them just before you are ready to serve them.