Name: Smoked salmon bagels three ways
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 10 min
Yield: 3 servings
Cuisine: Irish
Ingredients: For the bases:; 3 fresh bagels (poppy, sesame, or plain), halved; 200g WOH sliced smoked salmon; 1 lemon, cut into wedges; Freshly ground black pepper; Group A, the classic:; 150g full-fat cream cheese, at room temperature; 1 small bunch fresh dill, roughly chopped; 1 tbsp baby capers, drained; Group B, the green:; 1 ripe avocado, sliced; 1 tsp lime juice; A pinch of chilli flakes; A small handful fresh coriander leaves; Group C, the sharp:; 50g shop-bought pickled red onion (or 1 small red onion sliced thin and steeped in 2 tbsp red wine vinegar for 20 minutes); 1 tbsp creamed horseradish; A small handful watercress; 1 tsp lemon zest

One bagel, three trays of toppings, and a thirty-second judgement call on which one you fancy. This is how we eat smoked salmon at home on a Saturday: not one fancy bagel, three slightly different ones. The classic with cream cheese and dill is the default. The green version with avocado and capers is the lighter one. The sharp version with pickled red onion and horseradish is the one for grown-ups. Lay everything out, let people build their own, accept that you will eat at least two.

Ingredients

For the bases:

3 fresh bagels (poppy, sesame, or plain), halved

200g WOH sliced smoked salmon

1 lemon, cut into wedges

Freshly ground black pepper

Group A, the classic:

150g full-fat cream cheese, at room temperature

1 small bunch fresh dill, roughly chopped

1 tbsp baby capers, drained

Group B, the green:

1 ripe avocado, sliced

1 tsp lime juice

A pinch of chilli flakes

A small handful fresh coriander leaves

Group C, the sharp:

50g shop-bought pickled red onion (or 1 small red onion sliced thin and steeped in 2 tbsp red wine vinegar for 20 minutes)

1 tbsp creamed horseradish

A small handful watercress

1 tsp lemon zest

Method

Toast the bagel halves lightly. You want them warm and chewy, not crunchy.

Build each topping group on its own pair of bagel halves. For Group A: cream cheese first, salmon next, dill and capers on top. For Group B: smear half the avocado, lay the rest in slices, lime juice, chilli flakes, salmon, coriander. For Group C: a swipe of horseradish, salmon, pickled onion, watercress, lemon zest.

Black pepper over everything. Lemon wedges on the side.

Tips from our kitchen

Take the cream cheese out of the fridge 20 minutes before you build. Cold cream cheese tears the bagel when you spread it.

Don't toast the bagels until they crackle. You want chew. The salmon does enough texture work.

Group C wants thin pickled onion. The supermarket pre-pickled stuff in a jar is great. Don't overthink it.

Smoked salmon bagels three ways

Ingredients

Method

Tips from our kitchen

Irish Organic Oak Smoked Salmon by Wrights of Howth

Irish Organic Oak Smoked Salmon 900g with Wooden Serving Platter

Wrights of Howth Smoke House Box

More smoked salmon recipes

Eggs Royale (the smoked salmon Benedict)

Smoked salmon Christmas wreath platter

Cucumber and smoked salmon bites

Smoked salmon blinis with crème fraîche and dill

Smoked salmon and horseradish wraps

Warm new potato and smoked salmon salad