INGREDIENTS
Serves 2
1 small cucumber, peeled and very thinly sliced
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1/4 cup minced red onion
1/2 cup softened cream cheese
4 slices pumpernickel bread, toasted
1 large ripe tomato, thinly sliced
1/2 pound smoked salmon (lox)
1 teaspoon chopped fresh dill
1. Toss the sliced cucumber with salt and let purge 10 minutes. Squeeze the cucumbers dry, add to a small bowl, and toss with the vinegar and sugar.
2. In a separate small bowl, mix together the onion and cream cheese and spread on one side of all 4 slices of bread.
3. Top 2 slices of bread with 2 slices tomato, then the salmon and dill, then the cucumbers. Top off with the remaining bread and serve.
COLD VERSUS HOT SMOKING
Smoked salmon (lox) is a cold-smoked product. This means that the temperature in the smoker does not reach a high enough temperature to cook the meat of the fish. Hot smoking is a process when the smoker is well over 140°F and the product gets fully cooked.