Ed’s Smoked Salmon Puff Pastry Swirls

By á-5765

Puff pastry and baby asparagus elevate smoked salmon and ricotta cheese to the next level. The swirls are an elegant presentation for any occasion.

Ingredients

• 1 package Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry (sheets, not shells)
• 16 oz. ricotta cheese
• 4 cups smoked salmon, crumbled
• 1 t McCormick’s Montreal Chicken Spice
• 1 teaspoon lemon pepper
• 12 pieces of baby asparagus, precooked
• 2 red peppers, grilled, skins removed, deseeded, cut into 1/2” strips
• 1/2 cup fresh green parsley.

Preparation

Step 1

Prepare smoked salmon spread

In a bowl add 1 -2 cups ricotta cheese (more spreadable than if you use cream cheese).

Add the smoked salmon, chicken spice, and lemon pepper. Chill.

Meantime prepare the pastry and additional ingredients to be inserted.

Assembly

Remove puff pastry from freezer and thaw at room temperature for about 1/2 hour. The 10" x 10" sheet has a triple fold. If it thaws too long, the dough will stick to itself and you won't be able to open it flat.

Heat oven to 275.

Open the sheet to its 10" x 10" size and dust both sides liberally with flour.

With rolling pin, roll in one direction lengthwise until you have a 10" by about 16" inch sheet.

Using a knife or frosting spreader, spread the salmon mixture about 3/8” thick, leaving pone inch free on top and bottom and about ½” on the sides.

Now add your other fillings. Softened baby asparagus, two facing opposite directions about every three inches (6 pieces per sheet). Add some sweet long pepper slices. On one sheet I added some thin slices of baked, left-over, Copper River salmon. Check your fridge. Use your imagination!

Sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley. If your want to kick it up a notch sprinkle on some seasoning like Emeril Lagasse's Essence.

Now roll it up (away from you). The dough will be very soft, so you might like to use any long thin blade under the front edge of the dough to get the first roll started. Roll till you finish the tube. Place on a cookie sheet sprayed with Pam, seam side down. Pinch the ends shut.

Brush the rolls with melted butter. Bake around 25 minutes. Check and add time if not yet fully browned. When done let it rest for 15 minutes. Cut ½” slices with an electric knife. Handle gently as the swirls will be somewhat delicate. Start the party!