Salmon Sandwiches for the Holiday Table

Cooking method

1. Step 1:

   

   How do you make salmon sandwiches for a holiday table? Very easily. Start by making the pesto. You can save time and use ready-made store-bought pesto. For the pesto, you can use regular large-leaf basil or bush basil with small leaves, like mine. Pesto is traditionally made with olive oil, but you can use any oil you like.

2. Step 2:

   

   Put the washed basil, olive oil, garlic clove, salt, and pepper in a blender. Blend everything together until smooth.

3. Step 3:

   

   Now prepare all the other ingredients for the sandwiches. You can replace the white wheat bread with bran bread or any other to taste. You can replace the lightly salted salmon with another red fish, lightly salted or smoked. The butter should be at room temperature, so take it out of the fridge in advance.

4. Step 4:

   

   Cut the salmon into thin slices. I used pre-sliced fish, which saved me time. If you're using a whole piece of salted fish, it's easier to slice if you freeze it slightly first.

5. Step 5:

   

   Cut the tomatoes in half and slice them thinly. Choose juicy but firm tomatoes. Soft ones don't hold their shape well; as you slice them, they fall apart into a shapeless mush and ruin the look of the dish.

6. Step 6:

   

   Cut the ball of mozzarella into thin slices. Mozzarella comes in two types - low-moisture (for pizza) and fresh in brine. For sandwiches you want fresh brine-packed mozzarella, which I took out of the brine and patted dry.

7. Step 7:

   

   Spread the bread slices with a thin layer of soft, room-temperature butter.

8. Step 8:

   

   On one side of each bread slice, lay a slice of the lightly salted fish.

9. Step 9:

   

   On the other side, next to the fish, lay a slice of mozzarella.

10. Step 10:

    

    Lay the tomato slices on the cheese.

11. Step 11:

    

    Add a little pesto to the sandwiches.

12. Step 12:

    

    Garnish the top with sesame seeds and fresh basil. I used black sesame - it looks very striking against the white cheese. Serve the appetizer right away. Enjoy!