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1 Comment This smoked salmon with prawns is one of those starters that looks like you’ve made quite an effort, while in reality it takes about 10 minutes. My kind of entertaining!
The combination of smoked salmon, juicy prawns, peppery arugula and creamy horseradish works really well together. A fresh lime and ginger vinaigrette keeps everything light, making this an ideal starter for Christmas, a dinner party or any other special occasion.
And because I’m always in favor of adding a little more green to the plate, don’t be shy with the arugula. You can even add cucumber, avocado or radish and turn this into a more substantial salad.
The recipe is from BBC Good Food (Mary Cadogan).
Table of contents
Tip from Simone
Prepare the horseradish cream and lime vinaigrette a few hours in advance and keep them in the fridge. Then all you have to do before serving is arrange the salmon and prawns and toss the arugula with the dressing. Easy entertaining without spending half the evening in the kitchen!
Recipe Ingredients
A few notes on the ingredients for this easy appetizer with smoked salmon and prawns. Make sure to check the exact ingredients and instructions in the recipe card below.
- smoked salmon – use a really good quality as you will taste the difference in this simple salad
- prawns – you can make it easy by using pre-cooked prawns or use raw prawns and quickly cook them until pretty and pink. I’ve used both before and I tend to go for the cooked ones as that makes this dish even easier and quicker.
- horseradish – you can grate fresh horseradish or buy it ready at the grocery store. The variety I use doesn’t have any additives or anything so it is the pure horseradish in jar. Perfect for this
- creme fraiche – I mixed the creme fraiche with the horseradish. Want something a bit creamier? This also works really well with mayonnaise too
Make Ahead and Storage
The horseradish cream can be made up to 2 days in advance and stored in a covered container in the fridge.
The lime vinaigrette can also be prepared 1-2 days ahead. Give it a good stir or shake before using.
For the best texture, don’t toss the arugula with the dressing until you’re ready to serve. Once dressed, the leaves will quickly start to wilt.
If you have leftovers, store the salmon and prawns separately from the dressed salad where possible and keep refrigerated. Eat within 1 day.
Can you freeze it?
I wouldn’t recommend freezing the assembled dish. The arugula and crème fraîche don’t freeze particularly well and their texture will change after defrosting.
Assembling the Dish
For the rest of this dish it is as simple as putting it all together. You take two nice plates and spread out the salmon and the prawns, top that with a dollop of the horseradish cream. Toss the arugula through the dressing and pile that on top of the fish. The remaining dressing can be served on the side or drizzled around the plate.
You can serve it with some extra lemon slices on the side if you want. I might be adding some avocado cubes for next time or maybe some sliced spring onions.
If you’re looking for more Christmas inspiration have a look at the Christmas archives or if you love smoked salmon in an appetizer try this smoked salmon and cream cheese appetizer. Or these salmon rolls with cream cheese are also perfect as well as a salmon cocktail.
FAQ Smoked Salmon with Prawns
Mostly, yes. Make the horseradish cream and vinaigrette ahead of time and keep them refrigerated. You can also arrange the salmon and prawns on the plates shortly before your guests arrive. Add the arugula and dressing at the last minute.
Cucumber, avocado, radish and finely sliced fennel are particularly good choices. They add freshness and make the starter a little more substantial without making it heavy.
Baby spinach, lamb’s lettuce or mixed baby salad leaves all work. Arugula does have the advantage of adding a lovely peppery note that goes particularly well with the horseradish.
Absolutely. Lemon will make the vinaigrette slightly different but is just as delicious with smoked salmon and prawns.
Start with the amount given in the recipe and taste. Horseradish varies quite a bit in strength, so it’s much easier to add another teaspoon than to rescue a sauce that suddenly clears your sinuses!
Smoked salmon with prawns
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp creme fraiche
- 1 tsp horseradish cream grated horseradish
- 4 slices smoked salmon
- 10 large prawns cooked, peeled but tails left on
For the salad
- 1 lime juice and zest of half a lime
- 1 tsp clear honey
- 1/2 tsp ginger finely grated
- 2 tbsp light olive oil
- 2 handful arugula
Instructions
- Mix the creme fraiche with the horseradish and a little salt and pepper. Be sure to taste the mixture as horseradish can be quite sharp.
- For the dressing, whisk the lime juice and zest with the honey, ginger and seasoning, then whisk in the oil.
- Place the smoked salmon and prawns on 2 plates, then top with a dollop of the horseradish cream.
- Toss the salad in most of the dressing and pile on top. Drizzle the remaining dressing around the plate and serve.
Nutrition Information per portion:
Disclaimer:
The nutritional values above are calculated per portion. The details are based on standard nutritional tables and do not constitute a professional nutritional advice.
Made this recipe this evening after searching for a smoked salmon and prawn starter. Â Thanks so much to the above recipe by Mary Cadogan, a recipe which I found on BBCgoodfood.com it was delicious. Â