Easy & Elegant Salmon Roe Canapés Recipe

Easy yet Elegant Salmon Roe Canapés bring the wow factor to parties without the high price tag to match. Tasty briny nibbles of smoked salmon mousse canape topping on crispy bases garnished with glossy pearls of salmon caviar.

Smoked salmon canapés with caviar are a seafood appetizer with a luxurious edge and appearance. If you're looking for fancy finger foods to serve at parties, look no further.

Jump to:

• Is salmon roe caviar?
• Ingredients
• Instructions
• Top tip
• Chef's notes and serving suggestions
• Wine pairing for salmon roe canapés
• Equipment
• How to store
• FAQ
• 📖 Recipe
• Other elegant dinner party recipes
• 💬 Comments

Is salmon roe caviar?

Salmon roe can be called caviar if it is prefixed by the fact it is from a Salmon fish and not the Sturgeon fish. Salmon caviar are beautiful orange/red pearls that pop in the mouth and have a delicious salty taste. Read my guide to salmon roe vs caviar to find out more about this luxury ingredient that makes a decadent addition to special occasions.

Ingredients

The main ingredients for this canape recipe are actually very simple and easy to come by, which makes it a very easy recipe for a busy host holding a party!

For the canape bases

1. Bread: I use brown bread (wholemeal bread) as I personally prefer it with salmon, and there is more of a visual contrast between the smoked salmon mousse topping and the salmon roe. You can use white bread if you prefer for the easy canape base.
2. Cooking oil: Use a neutral oil to avoid mixing up flavor profiles; I like to use canola, rapeseed, or vegetable oil. Avoid using olive oil; it can be bitter and overpowering.

Alternatively, you can use store-bought crostini, blinis, or homemade vol au vent cases for these salmon caviar canapes. Some people even use crispy potato slices!

For the smoked salmon mousse canape topping

1. Smoked salmon - Buy a good quality smoked salmon to blend up into a mousse for the salmon caviar canape topping.
2. Cream cheese - Tangy, silky cream cheese makes this easy canape taste rich and decadent. Use full-fat, high-quality cream cheese, or it can be watery.
3. Crème Fraiche - If you cannot find this traditional French ingredient, you can use sour cream or even Greek yogurt for that vital bit of acidity.
4. Fresh lemon - Lemon juice and zest lift the flavors and help to cut through the fattiness of the salmon.
5. Chives - Fresh chives give some onion flavor that adds depth to the mousse.
6. Salt and freshly ground black pepper: You will not need much salt in this recipe as salmon roe and smoked salmon are both naturally salty.

For the garnish

1. Salmon roe - Our beautiful salmon roe perches on top of the smoked salmon mousse. It is usually stocked in larger supermarkets in the seafood section, especially around the festive party season, or it is easily available to buy online.
2. Dill - A sprig of fresh dill is the ultimate herb pairing for salmon recipes, like my easy salmon en croute with dill cream sauce.

See the recipe card at the bottom of this post for full quantities and step-by-step instructions on how to make this delicious salmon roe canapés recipe.

Instructions

Chef's notes and serving suggestions

I like to use a couple of teaspoons to quenelle the smoked salmon mousse canape topping. It just makes it look fancier and more professional in appearance. Because who doesn't love serving restaurant quality food at home?

Allow around a ¼ teaspoon of caviar per canape. You can also use trout roe if salmon roe is not available.

I like to allow for 10 canapes per person per hour of an event.

Wine pairing for salmon roe canapés

I'd pair an Oak-aged Chardonnay or Viognier with this canape recipe. The smoky, salty, and rich taste of these salty salmon roe canapes makes them more of a challenge to wine pair, but we just need a white wine to cut through it all.

Read more food and wine pairing tips here to elevate all your parties and special occasions.

Equipment

You will need a baking tray (baking sheet) to make the bread base, a mixing bowl, or a food processor for the smoked salmon mousse.

I use teaspoons to assemble my canapes, but you could also pipe the topping on using piping bags and then garnish with the roe.

To perfectly garnish your canapes every time with a sprig of dill or other fresh herbs, use a pair of kitchen tweezers.

How to store

Store all of the ingredients separately and assemble before serving.

The canape bases can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days, or they freeze really well. You can also freeze salmon roe, and it will keep for 6 months in an airtight container.

Do not freeze the smoked salmon mousse topping.

FAQ

📖 Recipe

Other elegant dinner party recipes

Looking for other easy salmon roe canape recipes like this? Try these: