Puff Pastry Pockets with Salmon and Scamorza Cheese

The puff pastry pockets with salmon and scamorza cheese are a tasty and easy-to-prepare appetizer. Here’s the recipe:

Ingredients

• 1 roll of rectangular puff pastry
• 100 g of smoked salmon
• 100 g of smoked scamorza cheese
• 1 egg for brushing
• Poppy or sesame seeds (optional, for garnishing)

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 200 °C.
2. Roll out the puff pastry and cut it into squares of about 5-6 cm per side.
3. Cut the smoked salmon into pieces that can fit the squares of pastry.
4. Also cut the smoked scamorza cheese into small pieces or slices.
5. Place a piece of salmon and one of scamorza in the center of each square of pastry.
6. Bring the corners of each square to the center, pinching the tips slightly to seal them, forming little bows.
7. Beat the egg and brush the puff pastry bows carefully to give color and shine during baking.
8. (Optional) Sprinkle poppy or sesame seeds on the bows for decoration.
9. Place the bows on a baking tray lined with parchment paper and bake them for about 15-20 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown and crispy.
10. Remove the bows from the oven and let them cool down before serving.

Curiosity

Smoked salmon and scamorza cheese are a combination that brings together the strong and slightly salty flavor of the fish with the sweetness and the stringy texture of the cheese, creating a delightful contrast. In Italy, the union of sea and land flavors in a single dish is often a subject of debate, but in this case, the pairing is highly appreciated and widespread in appetizer preparations.

If you want to give an even more Italian touch to the dish, you might consider using speck instead of salmon for a more “earthy” and smoky flavor.