Smoked Salmon Board with Avocado Lime Cream Cheese
Summer entertaining calls for effortless dishes that look beautiful and taste even better when shared with friends around the patio. This smoked salmon board takes the classic brunch platter and gives it a vibrant, Japanese-inspired twist that will have everyone reaching for seconds.We light up the pellet grill to give a center-cut salmon fillet a delicate kiss of smoke, keeping the texture velvety and rich. Paired with a creamy avocado soy-lime cream cheese, crisp quick-pickled cucumber ribbons, and a heavy sprinkle of savoury furikake, it is a fresh and balanced bite. Whether you are using wild-caught varieties or a high-quality organic Atlantic salmon, this interactive board comes together quickly and lets your guests build their own perfect combinations.
Ingredients
➡️Note About Scaling The Recipe: When scaling to 2X or 3X, the light grey ingredient notes and the instructions remain unchanged. Please adjust as needed.
Smoked Salmon
- 1 center-cut salmon fillet skin on, 1½ to 2 lb (680 to 900 g)
- 1½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil
Avocado Soy-Lime Cream Cheese
- 8 oz full-fat cream cheese 250 g, softened
- 1 ripe avocado
- 1½ tablespoon fresh lime juice 22 ml
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce 5 ml
- ½ teaspoon wasabi paste adjust to taste
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Quick Pickled Cucumbers
- 2 English cucumbers
- 3 tablespoon rice vinegar 45 ml
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice 15 ml
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce 5 ml
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
Board Assembly
- 3 green onions thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoon furikake seasoning
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
- 1 package Japanese rice crackers or sesame rice crackers
- 1 chili pepper or jalapeño finely chopped
- Lime wedges
- Optional: pickled ginger, toasted sesame seeds & wasabi
➡️What is Furikake? Furikake is a savoury Japanese condiment typically made of toasted sesame seeds, nori (seaweed), salt, and sugar. It adds a wonderful umami crunch to seafood and rice dishes.is Furikake
Instructions
Dry Brine the Salmon
- Pat the salmon dry with a paper towel. Season evenly with the kosher salt. Place on a wire rack set over a sheet pan and refrigerate uncovered for 1 to 4 hours.
- Remove from the refrigerator 20 to 30 minutes before cooking. If moisture has collected on the surface, gently pat dry and brush lightly with the avocado oil.
What is Dry Brining? Dry brining involves salting meat or fish ahead of cooking without any liquid. This draws out moisture, dissolves the salt, and reabsorbs it into the flesh. This process deeply seasons the fish, tightens the protein structure, and prevents albumin (the white protein) from leaking out during smoking.
Prepare the Pellet Grill
- Preheat your pellet grill (such as a Weber Smoque Pellet Grill) to 200°F (93°C). Activate the smoke-boosting feature for the first portion of the cook, if available.
- Allow the grill to fully stabilize before adding the salmon. Once the digital display reads 200°F (93°C), let the grill run completely empty for an extra 10 to 15 minutes. Pellet grills experience wide temperature swings during startup, and the initial smoke can be thick and bitter. Giving it a few extra minutes allows the heavy metal grates to heat through evenly and ensures the harsh startup smoke clears out, leaving behind a clean, gentle smoke that flavours the delicate fish perfectly.
Smoke the Salmon
- Place the salmon skin-side down on a sheet of parchment paper cut larger than the fillet, then place the paper directly onto the cooking grate.
- Begin checking the internal temperature after 60 minutes. A 1¼-inch thick centre-cut organic Atlantic salmon fillet will typically reach 120°F to 122°F (49°C to 50°C) in 60 to 85 minutes. Always cook to internal temperature rather than time.
- Remove from the smoker and rest for 10 minutes. Allow to cool until just warm before gently breaking into large, natural flakes.
Pro Tip: While our process photos show the fish directly on the grates, we highly recommend using parchment paper. It acts as a safety net, making it incredibly easy to lift the delicate, flaky salmon off the grill without it sticking or breaking apart.
Prepare the Avocado Soy-Lime Cream Cheese
- Immediately toss the scooped avocado with the lime juice to prevent browning. Place the avocado, cream cheese, soy sauce, wasabi, and salt into a food processor. Process until completely smooth and creamy. Taste and adjust the wasabi or lime juice if desired.
- Transfer to a shallow serving bowl, cover, and refrigerate until needed.
Pipe for a Polished Presentation: Spooning the avocado cream cheese into a bowl works fine, but piping it creates a stunning look that catches the light and holds toppings beautifully. If you do not have a formal pastry bag and a wide tip, just use a heavy-duty storage bag. Snip a small triangle off one of the bottom corners, squeeze gently and guide the cream cheese into the bowl in clean circles or waves.
Prepare the Quick Pickled Cucumbers
- Using a vegetable peeler or mandoline, shave the cucumbers into long ribbons.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the rice vinegar, lime juice, soy sauce, sugar, and salt until the sugar dissolves. Add the cucumber ribbons and toss gently. Let stand for 15 to 20 minutes. Drain well before assembling the board to ensure they stay crisp.
Assemble the Board
- Place the bowl of avocado soy-lime cream cheese on a large serving board.
- Arrange the smoked salmon in generous flakes beside the cream cheese. Because organic Atlantic salmon is slightly firmer, leave some larger chunks to hold their shape beautifully.
- Pile the well-drained cucumber ribbons loosely onto the board. Scatter the green onions over the salmon and cucumbers. Sprinkle the furikake and toasted sesame seeds over the salmon. Fill the remaining spaces with rice crackers, lime wedges, and pickled ginger if using.
To Serve
- Just before serving, build a few stacks with a rice cracker, a spread of avocado cream cheese, a ribbon of pickled cucumber, a flake of smoked salmon, furikake, chopped red chilies, green onion and a fresh squeeze of lime. Optional: pickled ginger, toasted sesame seeds & wasabi.
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Notes
Tips, Substitutions & Serving Suggestions
- Salmon Varieties Matter: Organic Atlantic salmon is widely available and behaves differently from wild Chinook. It is slightly leaner than farmed Chinook but fattier than coho or sockeye, resulting in a firmer flake and a milder flavour that lets the smoke shine. Because it can release slightly more albumin if overcooked, do not skip the dry brine.
- Managing Tapered Fillets: Atlantic salmon often has a thinner tail section than the centre. If your fillet tapers noticeably, position the thicker end toward the hotter area or hot spot of your smoker. This helps the tail and the thick centre finish cooking close to the same time.
- Temperature Control: Pull the salmon precisely at 120°F to 122°F (49°C to 50°C). Carryover heat will finish the cook while keeping the seafood silky and moist.
- Keep It Crisp: Drain the cucumber ribbons thoroughly before placing them on the board so they do not water down your presentation or soften the rice crackers.
- Cracker Substitutions: If Japanese rice crackers are unavailable, sesame water crackers, pita chips, or even lightly toasted sourdough crostini make excellent vessels for these flavours.
No Smoker? No Problem!
You can absolutely make this on a regular gas or charcoal grill. The secret to maintaining that silky, delicate texture on a standard grill is setting it up for two-zone indirect cooking and adding a simple foil pouch of wood chips to mimic the pellet grill experience.The Regular Grill Adaptation (Two-Zone Method)
A standard grill can easily handle this recipe if you isolate the heat to one side and keep the salmon completely away from the direct flames.Set Up Two-Zone Heat
- For Gas Grills: Turn on one outside burner to medium-low and leave the other burners off. Your goal is to stabilize the ambient grill temperature between 225°F (107°C) and 250°F (121°C) with the lid closed.
- For Charcoal Grills: Light a small chimney of charcoal and pile the hot coals entirely on one side of the grill, leaving the other half completely empty. Place a small aluminum drip pan filled with water on the empty side beneath the grate to help regulate the heat.
Add the Smoke Element
- To get that authentic wood-fired flavour without a dedicated smoker, use wood chips (sweet woods like apple, cherry, or maple work best with salmon).
- Wrap ½ cup of dry wood chips in a piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil to create a small pouch. Poke a few holes in the top of the pouch with a fork to let the smoke escape. Place the pouch directly over the lit burner or right on top of the hot charcoal. Within 5 to 10 minutes, it will begin to release a steady stream of gentle smoke.
Grill the Salmon
- Place the dry-brined, oiled salmon skin-side down on the unlit, cool side of the grill grate (indirect heat). Position the fish so the thicker center-cut end faces toward the heat source and the thinner tail section faces away from it. Close the lid and keep it closed to trap the smoke.
- Target Grill Temperature: 225°F (107°C) to 250°F (121°C).
- Estimated Cook Time: 35 to 50 minutes for a 1¼-inch thick fillet.
Rest and Assemble
- Let the salmon rest on a clean platter for 10 minutes to finish the carryover cooking. Once it cools down to a warm room temperature, flake it into large pieces and arrange your board as usual.
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