Smoked Salmon & Devon Crab Vol-au-Vent with Lemon-Dill Cream, Pickled Cucumber & Herb Oil
A refined Christmas starter combining crisp buttery vol-au-vent pastry, delicate Devon crab, silky smoked salmon, lemon-dill cream, quick-pickled cucumber and vibrant herb oil.
Ingredients
For the vol-au-vents
- 4 Pidy medium vol-au-vent pastry cases
- 120 g Devon white crab meat well drained
- 120 g smoked Atlantic salmon thinly sliced
- 100 g full-fat cream cheese
- 60 g crème fraîche
- 1 tbsp fresh dill finely chopped
- 1 tsp lemon zest finely grated
- 2 tsp fresh lemon juice
- 0.25 tsp freshly ground black pepper
For the quick-pickled cucumber
- 150 g cucumber very thinly sliced into ribbons
- 30 ml white wine vinegar
- 1 tsp caster sugar
- 0.25 tsp fine sea salt
For the herb oil
- 15 g fresh parsley
- 10 g fresh dill
- 60 ml extra virgin olive oil
- 1 pinch sea salt
For finishing
- 20 g smoked salmon reserved for garnish
- 4 sprigs fresh dill for garnish
- 1 tsp lemon zest finely grated
- micro herbs optional
- freshly ground black pepper to finish
Instructions
Prepare the pickled cucumber
- Using a mandoline or vegetable peeler, cut the cucumber into very thin ribbons.
- Mix the white wine vinegar, caster sugar and sea salt until the sugar has dissolved.
- Add the cucumber ribbons and leave to pickle for 15–20 minutes.
- Drain thoroughly before plating.
Make the herb oil
- Place the parsley, dill, extra virgin olive oil and sea salt in a blender.
- Blend until vivid green.
- For a finer restaurant-style finish, pass the oil through a fine sieve or muslin.
- Set aside until needed.
Crisp the vol-au-vents
- Preheat the oven to 180°C fan / 200°C conventional / Gas 6.
- Place the vol-au-vent cases on a baking tray.
- Warm for approximately 5–7 minutes, or according to the packet instructions, until crisp and golden.
- Keep warm but do not overbake.
Prepare the crab filling
- Mix the cream cheese, crème fraîche, chopped dill, lemon zest, lemon juice and black pepper until smooth.
- Gently fold through the crab meat, taking care to retain visible flakes of crab.
- Taste before adding salt, as the seafood may already provide sufficient seasoning.
Prepare the smoked salmon
- Cut the smoked salmon into elegant ribbons.
- Reserve a few attractive pieces for the top of each vol-au-vent.
Fill the pastry
- Spoon or pipe the lemon-dill crab mixture into each warm vol-au-vent.
- Arrange folded ribbons of smoked salmon over the top.
- Keep the salmon loose and natural rather than tightly packed.
Plate and finish
- Place one filled vol-au-vent slightly off-centre on each plate.
- Arrange a small curl or ribbon of pickled cucumber beside it.
- Add several small drops of herb oil around the plate.
- Finish with fresh dill, lemon zest, freshly ground black pepper and optional micro herbs.
Notes
Chef Tips
For the best texture, fill the vol-au-vents just before serving. The pastry should stay crisp and flaky while the crab filling remains cool and creamy. Use Pidy Medium Vol-au-Vents for the pastry cases.
Drain the crab thoroughly before folding it into the lemon-dill cream. Excess moisture can loosen the filling and soften the pastry. For the filling, use Devon White Crab Prime Mix 454g.
Let the crab filling sit out of the refrigerator for around 10 minutes before serving. Extremely cold filling can mute the flavour of the crab, dill and lemon. Use the smoked salmon in loose folds rather than packing it tightly into the pastry. This gives the starter height and a cleaner fine-dining presentation. Use Craigellachie Smoked Atlantic Salmon from Nicol Retailer’s seafood range. Keep the lemon restrained. The aim is to brighten the seafood rather than mask the delicate crab and smoked salmon. For an elegant Christmas presentation, use a wide pale plate and finish with only a few drops of herb oil, a curled cucumber ribbon and small dill fronds. Fresh herbs, cucumber and citrus can be sourced from Nicol Retailer’s Fresh Produce range. If preparing for guests, the pickled cucumber, herb oil and crab filling can all be made earlier in the day. Keep them chilled separately and assemble shortly before serving.
Gluten-Free Variation To make the starter gluten-free, replace the standard pastry with Pidy Gluten Free 4cm Neutral Tartlet Cases.Keep the same Devon crab, smoked salmon, lemon-dill cream, cucumber and herb oil filling, but always check the latest product labels for gluten and allergen information before serving. For guests with coeliac disease, prepare the gluten-free version with separate utensils, trays and work surfaces to reduce cross-contact.
Vegan Variation For a vegan version, replace the seafood and dairy filling with a plant-based mixture of:
- finely chopped artichoke hearts or hearts of palm
- vegan cream cheese
- unsweetened plant-based crème fraîche or thick vegan yoghurt
- fresh dill
- lemon zest
- lemon juice
- black pepper Use smoked carrot ribbons or roasted red pepper in place of smoked salmon.
For the base, use a vegan pastry case and confirm the pastry is suitable for a vegan diet from the product label. Fresh dill, cucumber, lemon and herbs can be sourced through Nicol Retailer’s Fresh Produce range. Chef’s Vegan Tip
For the smoked carrot, blanch very thin carrot ribbons briefly, then marinate them with lemon juice, olive oil, dill and a small amount of smoked seasoning. Chill before plating.
The aim is not to imitate salmon exactly, but to create a refined smoky vegetable element that works naturally with the creamy filling and pickled cucumber.
Let the crab filling sit out of the refrigerator for around 10 minutes before serving. Extremely cold filling can mute the flavour of the crab, dill and lemon. Use the smoked salmon in loose folds rather than packing it tightly into the pastry. This gives the starter height and a cleaner fine-dining presentation. Use Craigellachie Smoked Atlantic Salmon from Nicol Retailer’s seafood range. Keep the lemon restrained. The aim is to brighten the seafood rather than mask the delicate crab and smoked salmon. For an elegant Christmas presentation, use a wide pale plate and finish with only a few drops of herb oil, a curled cucumber ribbon and small dill fronds. Fresh herbs, cucumber and citrus can be sourced from Nicol Retailer’s Fresh Produce range. If preparing for guests, the pickled cucumber, herb oil and crab filling can all be made earlier in the day. Keep them chilled separately and assemble shortly before serving.
Gluten-Free Variation To make the starter gluten-free, replace the standard pastry with Pidy Gluten Free 4cm Neutral Tartlet Cases.Keep the same Devon crab, smoked salmon, lemon-dill cream, cucumber and herb oil filling, but always check the latest product labels for gluten and allergen information before serving. For guests with coeliac disease, prepare the gluten-free version with separate utensils, trays and work surfaces to reduce cross-contact.
Vegan Variation For a vegan version, replace the seafood and dairy filling with a plant-based mixture of:
- finely chopped artichoke hearts or hearts of palm
- vegan cream cheese
- unsweetened plant-based crème fraîche or thick vegan yoghurt
- fresh dill
- lemon zest
- lemon juice
- black pepper Use smoked carrot ribbons or roasted red pepper in place of smoked salmon.
For the base, use a vegan pastry case and confirm the pastry is suitable for a vegan diet from the product label. Fresh dill, cucumber, lemon and herbs can be sourced through Nicol Retailer’s Fresh Produce range. Chef’s Vegan Tip
For the smoked carrot, blanch very thin carrot ribbons briefly, then marinate them with lemon juice, olive oil, dill and a small amount of smoked seasoning. Chill before plating.
The aim is not to imitate salmon exactly, but to create a refined smoky vegetable element that works naturally with the creamy filling and pickled cucumber.
Nutrition
Serving: 1g | Calories: 430kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 31g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Sodium: 720mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g
