If you’re a fan of smoked salmon bagels, you’re going to go crazy over this gorgeous and utterly delicious cream cheese smoked salmon tart!
Your favourite bagel in a tart!
We popped into a bagel shop the other day, and the options were overwhelming. My head was all over the place: ‘Go with the Smoked salmon, it’s your favourite… but wow, that Pesto chicken sounds amazing… no, don’t risk it, just stick with salmon!’ So when the server asked for my order, I hesitated, and asked for ‘Pesto chicken, please’. Oops, what a terrible decision that was!
It’s the story of my life. It seems my curiosity for something new wins, and I just have to try it. Of course, most of the time, I regret it! Meanwhile, my husband is sitting there shaking his head like, ‘Why do you do this to yourself? Just order what you know you’ll love, like I do!’
Meanwhile, Mr. ‘Go for what you know’ is across the table, proudly sticking to his usual… except he conveniently forgets that the last time he ordered it, he moaned about how awful it was. ‘I’m never ordering that again!’ he insists. ‘Are you kidding? You ordered that last time and said it was terrible!’ … Yes, it’s official: we’ve become that couple that bickers over nothing! 😳😂
Anyway, the terrible bagel I got made me crave a salmon and cream cheese bagel more than ever. Sadly, we don’t get fresh bagels around here, not even at specialty bakeries. So what’s the next best thing? Smoked salmon tart!
So here we have it! An absolutely delicious, rustic yet elegant tart. Slices of smoked salmon on a bed of garlic and dill cream cheese, topped with red onions, and capers, all on golden, flaky puff pastry. Thanks to that bad bagel choice, I discovered an equally delicious way to enjoy salmon and cream cheese. See, it’s not all bad! 😉
Smoked Salmon Tart
The pros and cons of using frozen puff pastry
The pros of puff pastry include its convenience and versatility, allowing for quick preparation. If you’ve made frozen puff pastry from scratch before, you’ll know it’s quite a complex and lengthy process!
The cons of using frozen puff pastry is the quality can vary between brands, potentially affecting the flakiness and taste. Trust me, it’s worth paying extra for good-quality puff pastry!
How to use frozen puff pastry
Defrost puff pastry according to package directions. Unfold (or peel the plastic off the flat ones) and use immediately, as it dries out quickly. Puff pastry requires baking at a high temperature to make it golden and airy.
How to spread cream cheese on delicate puff pastry?
If you have spreadable cream cheese that comes in a container like butter, opt for that one as it will be easier to spread. If you’re using a regular block of cream cheese, leave it at room temperature until it softens enough to spread.
Spread cream cheese thinly and evenly on the cooled puff pastry using a small offset spatula or the back of a spoon to prevent tearing and ensure even distribution.
Can you pick up a puff pastry tart slice like a pizza?
Yes, we did it! But it was incredibly messy to eat. Puff pastry is flaky and delicate, they’re not made for eating like pizza. Let’s pretend it’s posh pizza and eat it with a knife and fork! Your hands and clothes will thank you for keeping them clean. Pop a slice in the fridge for a few hours to firm, and you could eat it like pizza, although it won’t be as wonderfully crisp and flaky!
More mouthwatering salmon recipes to try:
Ingredients for Smoked Salmon Tart
Frozen puff pastry – You’ll need about 30-35cm x 24cm (11.8 – 13.8 x 9.5 inches) of good quality thawed pre-rolled puff pastry. Most stores here stock the 24cm / 9.5 inches frozen squares of puff pastry, which is fine to use. It will make a smaller tart, so you’ll need less cream cheese and toppings. The one I bought is expensive as it’s made from real butter and only get one long sheet.
Smoked salmon – If you’re unfamiliar with smoked salmon, purchasing it can be somewhat confusing because of the options available. We want plain smoked salmon that comes thinly sliced. It should have a beautiful, shiny, almost translucent appearance. You’ll see trays of smoked salmon in vacuum-sealed packaging in the supermarket fridge section.
Baby capers have a unique flavour. Salty and slightly acidic, with a tangy, lemony overtone and a subtle peppery bite. You can usually find small caper jars near the pickles in the supermarket.
Cream cheese – I like to use spreadable cream cheese as it’s softer in texture, which is perfect for spreading on flaky pastry. You could also just use regular blocks of cream cheese, but bring it to room temperature or until it’s soft enough to spread before using.
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How to make Smoked Salmon Tart
Step-by-step guide with photos
Preheat oven to 200°C (390°F). Grease a large flat tray with oil spray, or brush with some melted butter or oil. Line the tray with non-stick baking / parchment paper, then lightly grease it.
Place the pastry on the prepared tray, taking care not to stretch or tear it. Use a sharp knife to score a 2.5cm / 1-inch border from the edge of the pastry. Don’t score all the way through the pastry. Prick the inside border with a fork.
Use a pastry brush to apply the beaten egg over the pastry, covering the entire surface of the pastry including the outer border. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes or until golden.
Meanwhile, make the cream cheese spread by mixing all the ingredients together until well combined.
When the pastry comes out of the oven, it’ll look puffy, including the centre. Use the back of a spoon to flatten the pastry’s centre gently, while keeping the borders up. Allow the pastry to cool for 8 to 10 minutes.
Dollop balls of cream cheese over the pastry, then even it out using a spatula. If you have one, using an offset spatula makes spreading much easier. Optional – leave a small amount of spread to add to the top of the tart. The toppings will hide any pastry crumbs you get in the spread, so don’t worry.
Layer the smoked salmon over the cream cheese, then the onions, capers and dill, then spoon on the remaining cream cheese. Enjoy!
How to store puff pastry smoked salmon tart
This smoked salmon tart is best served immediately. However, if you have leftovers, carefully wrap each of the slices with plastic cling wrap/film and store in the fridge for up to 1 to 2 days.
I’ve used a third-party application to calculate the calories and nutritional information, so please use this as an approximate guide only.
Cooking measurements are in Australian standard spoon and cup measurements. For specific details and conversions, visit our Australian Cooking Measurements page.
I would love your feedback and support if you made this recipe. To do this, please rate this recipe and provide a comment by scrolling down this page or by clicking that green circle on the bottom left. An email address is required (for spam), but it won’t be published. I would also love to see your dish, so don’t forget to tag me on my Instagram account ‘3catsfoodie’
Cheers – Cat T
Smoked Salmon Tart
Video
Ingredients
- 1 large sheet (375g / 13oz) frozen rolled puff pastry (30-35cm / 11.8-13.8in) (NOTE 1)
- 250g / 8.8oz smoked salmon slices (NOTE 2)
- 1 small egg, lightly beaten
- ¼ small red onion, sliced into very thin wedges
- 1 tbsp (15g / 0.5oz) tbsp drained baby capers (NOTE 3)
- fresh dill for garnish
FOR THE CREAM CHEESE SPREAD
- 250g / 8.8oz cream cheese, softened at room temperature (NOTE 4)
- 1 tbsp (20ml / 0.7floz) freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 tbsp finely chopped dill
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 200°C (390°F). Grease a large flat tray with oil spray, or brush with some melted butter or oil. Line the tray with non-stick baking / parchment paper, then lightly grease it. Place the pastry on the prepared tray, taking care not to stretch or tear it. Use a sharp knife to score a 2.5cm / 1-inch border from the edge of the pastry. Don't score all the way through the pastry. Prick the inside border with a fork.
- Use a pastry brush to apply the beaten egg over the pastry, covering the entire surface of the pastry including the outer border. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes or until golden.
- Meanwhile, make the cream cheese spread by mixing all the ingredients together until well combined.
- When the pastry comes out of the oven, it'll look puffy, including the centre. Use the back of a spoon to flatten the pastry's centre gently, while keeping the borders up. Allow the pastry to cool for 8 to 10 minutes.
- Dollop balls of cream cheese over the pastry, then even it out using a spatula. If you have one, using an offset spatula makes spreading much easier. Optional – leave a small amount of spread to add to the top of the tart. The toppings will hide any pastry crumbs you get in the spread, so don't worry.
- Layer the smoked salmon over the cream cheese, then the onions, capers and dill, then spoon on the remaining cream cheese. Enjoy!
