SMOKED SALMON & CREAM CHEESE BAGELS

It is no secret for those who know me that I love baking and eating a certain delicious ring-shaped Jewish bread called "Bagel" (pronounce "bay-gull"). It is a traditional speciality which never fails to make me salivate and crave for more!!!

Although I had already blogged about this delightful bread two years ago (see post), I thought that I could once again talk about it by writing about how it is generally prepared and served in the delis (delicatessens) throughout the US and Canada...

Those "Smoked Salmon & Cream Cheese Bagels" are undoubtedly some of the best sandwiches I've eaten so far. The bread is awesomely chewy, dense and tastes like heaven. The rich, velvety and soft cream cheese filling adds an incomparable smootheness and a luscious flavor of cream. The salmon and it's tangy touch of lemon juice brings some contrast with it's luxuriant, yet delicate flavor and it's exquisite smoke taste that revives the overall flavor ever so magnificently.

It is incontestably the king of all sandwiches and will rejoice any foodie who adores gourmet food!!!

The Bagel

I stopped to pick up the bagel
rolling away in the wind,
annoyed with myself
for having dropped it
as if it were a portent.
Faster and faster it rolled,
with me running after it
bent low, gritting my teeth,
and I found myself doubled over
and rolling down the street
head over heels, one complete somersault
after another like a bagel
and strangely happy with myself.

~ By David Ignatow ~

~ Smoked Salmon Bagels ~
Recipe (only the bread) taken from Eric Treuille & Ursula Ferrigno's "Ultimate Bread" cookbook and adapted by Rosa @ Rosa's Yummy Yums

Serves 4.

Ingredients:
300-400g Cream cheese (see infos)
5-6 Tbs Fresh chives, chopped
400g Smoked salmon (lox), thinly sliced
1 Lemon
8 Bagels (see recipe)

Method:
1. Mix together the cream cheese and the chopped chives.
2. Cut each bagel through the middle.
3. Spread the cream cheese mixture evenly on both sides of the bagel.
4. Top each bottom half with 1/8th of the salmon.

5. Then sprinkle with a few drops lemon juice.
6. Finish by flipping the top half of the sandwich over onto the bottom half.
7. Serve.

Remarks:
I bought Philadelphia cream cheese.
If you want, you can toast the inside cut edge of the bagels under a preheated grill before you spread the cream cheese mixture.
Instead of using chives, you can top the salmon with sliced onion roun ds before flipping the top half of the bagel over onto the bottom half.
You can add some fresh or dried dill to the cream cheese, if you desire.

Serving suggestions:
It is so heavenly that there's no need to add anything superfluou s!!!
If you really need something to accompany your bagel sandwich, then serve with a sliced tomato or slices of cucumber.

***************

~ Bagels Au Saumon Fumé et Au Fromage Frais ~
Recette (seulement le pain) tirée du livre Ultimate Bread" d'Eric Treuille & Ursula Ferrigno et adaptée par Rosa @ Rosa's Yummy Yums

Pour 4 personnes.

Ingredients:
300-400g de Fromage frais
5-6 CS de Ciboulette, hachée
400g de Saumon fumé, en tranches fines
1 Citron
8 Bagels (voir la recette)

Méthode:
1. Mélanger le fromage frais à la ciboulette hachée.
2. Couper chaque bagel dans le sens de la largeur.
3. Tartiner le mélange fromage frais/ciboulette sur chaque moitié de bagel (16 en tout).

4. Sur chaque moitié inférieure, déposer 1/8 ième du saumon fumé.
5. Arroser le saumon d'un peu de citron (quelques gouttes suffisent).
6. Couvrir chaque moitié inférieure par la moitié supérieure (dessus) du bagel et refermer.
7. Servir.

Remarques:
Pour le fromage frais, j'ai acheté du Philadelphia cream cheese.
Si vous le désirez, vous pouvez griller chaque moitié de bagel sur le côté intérieur (avant de tartiner le fromage frais).
Au lieu d'utiliser de la ciboulette, vous pouvez prendre des rondelles d'oignon que vous placerez sur le saumon fumé, avant de refermer le sandwich.
Vous pouvez aussi ajouter de l'aneth séchée ou fraîche au mélange fromage frais/ciboulette.

Idée de présentation:
Ce sandwich est tellement délicieux qu'il n'a besoin d'aucune fioriture superflue!!!
Si vous voulez vraiment l'accompagner d'une crudité, choisissez une tomate ou du concombre en tranches.