I made these beautiful, heart shaped hors d’œuvres for Valentines day and I thought I’d share the simple recipe with you because making heart shaped hors d’œuvres shouldn’t be reserved for one day of the year! The fussiest thing about this recipe is cutting out the heart shapes from the smoked salmon. But you needn’t fuss at all, just piece the smoked salmon on the rice and cut out easy rectangles using a sharp knife! I ended up using a knife along the outer edge of a heart-shaped cookie cutter and assembling the salmon on top of the cut rice. Want to make it even easier? You can also purchase ready-made wasabi mayo.
Smoked Salmon Sushi Hearts
Makes about 16 bite-sized hearts, but it will depend on size of your hearts
Ingredients:
- 1 cup sushi rice, cooked to package directions
- 1 tbsp seasoned rice vinegar
- 100 g smoked salmon
- 2 tbsp mayonnaise
- 1 tsp wasabi paste, or to taste
Directions:
- Mix the rice vinegar into the hot rice and set aside to cool completely.
- Line a 25 cm or 10 inch square cake pan with plastic wrap overhanging two opposing sides. Press the cooled cooked rice evenly into the pan. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to set in shape.
- In the meantime, combine the mayonnaise and wasabi paste and mix throughly. Refrigerate.
- Take the plastic wrap overhanging sides and lift the rice out of the pan onto a cutting board. Remove plastic wrap.
- On another cutting board, take a slice of smoked salmon and press your heart shaped cookie cutter into it, if it doesn’t cut through completely, use a sharp knife to cleanly cut the heart shape using the cookie cutter as your guide. Repeat as many times as you have smoked salmon. Remember that you can piece together a large enough block of smoked salmon to cut more hearts out.
- Once you have exhausted the smoked salmon, cut as many hearts out from the rice as you have salmon hearts; you can also reuse the left over rice bits to make additional rice hearts. Assemble by placing the smoked salmon heart directly on top of the rice heart, lining up as best you can.
- Dot a single dot of the wasabi mayo in the centre of the heart. Serve immediately, or refrigerate covered with plastic wrap so that the rice doesn’t dry out.
Directions for Rectangles:
- Mix the rice vinegar into the hot rice and set aside to cool completely.
- Line a 25 cm or 10 inch square cake pan with plastic wrap overhanging two opposing sides. Press the cooled cooked rice evenly into the pan. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to set in shape.
- In the meantime, combine the mayonnaise and wasabi paste and mix throughly.
- Take individual sheets of smoked salmon and piece it on top of the rice while still in the pan, overlapping slightly so that there aren’t any holes. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
- Take the plastic wrap overhanging sides and lift the rice out of the pan onto a cutting board. Remove plastic wrap.
- Using a ruler or straight edge, cut even rectangles and dot each one with the wasabi mayo (you may need additional wasabi mayo for this)
That’s so pretty Eva… I think they’d look amazing with some of the little wasabi pearls on top… perhaps some of the balsamic ones too. Such a lovely idea… I think I’ll try and make them as a little appetizer for my wife one time when we can rope the grandparents into some babysitting!
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They are perfect for date night for sure! And I’m sure William’s grandparents would love to baby sit, he looks like he’d be so much fun.
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These look wonderful, Eva. You’re thoughtful and your food reflects it. Why serve rectangles on St Valentine’s Day when hearts would be so much more appropriate? What a special treat!
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Thank you so much John, they were rather tasty too!
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Wow, pretty and tasty appetizer,
i guess i’m gonna use my homemade gravlax for making this….
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That sounds absolutely perfect Dedy, I bet it will be wonderful.
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These are so beautiful, Eva. Really, really pretty. I love the look of them and what a beautiful idea for Valentine’s Day – or any day! xx
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Thanks Charlie, they really were rather tasty too.
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These are just ridiculously cute!
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Thank you.
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They look so cute and elegant, Eva! I must remember next time I have a party. I already see so many other toppings ideas…. Are one of them with capers on top? I love capers and always have at least one jar in the pantry, so I will keep this combination in mind.
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Hi Sissi, thank you for your kind words, yes, the little rectangle versions have capers as an additional garnish and they were very tasty indeed. I love them too and always have a jar in my pantry. I love the big caper berries too, the ones with the stems, so pretty as a garnish.
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How beautiful and inspirational!
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Thank so much MiMi
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That is the cutest appetiser idea ever! Both very cute and vibrant 😀
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
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Thanks so much CCU.
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What a fantastic hors d’ouevre, and you’re right, we should bring out the hearts more often! I just might be daring enough to go full flavor wasabi. Thank you so much for visiting my place today, I appreciate your time.
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Thanks so much for your lovely words Brooks, it’s very nice that you dropped by.
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I really wasn’t paying attention and when I read salmon hearts I thought, “boy, they’d be small wouldn’t they?” duh! These are so cute and very romantic as well as delicious.
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Hi Maureen, they are about one bite which works out perfectly when you are feeding them to your John! Thank you for your lovely compliment.
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What a simple but oh so effective idea Eva! 🙂
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Thank you kindly Lorraine, I appreciate your lovely words.
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They do look nice Eva. I would actually eat this. Smoked fish good. Raw? Not as much.
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Hi Zsuzsa, I know what you mean but I do love real sushi too, JT not so much. It’s a textural thing for him.
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Swoon! I adore smoke salmon and also heart shaped anything.
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Thanks Genie, they are rather cute and tasty too.
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Oh wow, I love-love your hearts! I have never made shapes when preparing sushi. Thanks for sharing, can’t wait to make some hearts!:)
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Thanks Nancy, welcome to my blog it’s so nice to meet you. It’s a great faux sushi for those who are squeamish about the real thing and they are darn tasty too. Hope you enjoy making them.
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These are so adorable, my husband would love these.
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Thanks so much Cheri, I appreciate the comment.
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Such an excellent idea! I can see using all sorts of shapes with this delicious combination of flavors. This is probably as close to sushi as Bill would ever eat 🙂
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It’s a fantastic faux sushi dish that looks equally as impressive as it tastes! I love the idea of using other shapes too, like shamrocks for a St. Paddy’s day party.
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I should have made these last month for my wife. Her favourite sushi is a salmon nigiri.
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Hi David, don’t limit heart-shaped foods to just valentine’s day, do it on date night too!
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These are downright adorable! And you officially made me decide to order sushi tonight. 🙂
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Hi Kristy, that’s so cute that my post made you order sushi, I’m very flattered! Hope it’s tasty 😉
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Oh, how very beautiful!
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Thank you kindly Liz.
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Very prettty hors d’oeuvres. They remind me of the ‘salmon roses’ you can find on the menus of many all you can eat sushi places. A couple of strips of salmon is wrapped around a small ball of sushi rice and decorated with a piped dot of mayonnaise and sprinkled with tobiko.
http://allericcaneat.blogspot.ca/2012/12/168-sushi-asian-buffet-ottawa-on.html
Unfortunately, I deleted the pictures that I took from my LJ from one of my ‘many’ outings. Now I’ve made myself hungry. 🙂
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I decided to re-upload some of my AYCE sushi restaurant pictures and the salmon roses are in the first one posted.
http://a-boleyn.livejournal.com/173196.html
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Thank Maria, I’m checking them out now.
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The salmon roses do look lovely Maria, thank you kindly for the link. In fact, many of the dishes on that menu are totally drool worthy! I am aching for that gorgeous seafood udon. I know exactly what you mean about making myself hungry, I just had dinner and …
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These are adorable…in the best possibly way! I know they’re delicious either as rectangles or hearts, but the hearts are so appealing. What a great idea, Eva.
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Thank you Betsy, I hope you have an occasion to try this tasty appi.
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You are full of ideas and creativity Eva. These heart-shaped bites are just so pretty and cheerful — they’re bringing me the biggest smile just looking at them. I like the sizing and the delicate touch of wasabi too (just the right amount for me). I just love these and I wouldn’t wait for Valentine’s day either… any day that celebrates love is a perfect occasion in my books :).
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Thank you kindly Kelly, you are very generous with your compliments. I love wasabi and sometimes I take a bit too much which makes my eyes cross and water all at once, but boy does it clear my sinuses! The mayo actually helps cut the heat.
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Haha, my husband’s like that too. It’s funny because I generally tolerate more heat than him but not with wasabi — he just loves the stuff!
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Wasabi is totally a different type of heat, I agree. I can take all kinds of heat but I particularly enjoy the wasabi (horseradish too) because of the cleansing properties for the sinuses! I have had many sinus issues over the years so it’s nice to find a more natural solution. I do caveat this that I’ve never actually had real wasabi just the commercial coloured horseradish sold in NA. I’d love to try the real stuff but sadly am not willing to put a mortgage on my house to do it!
Just loving the summer blooms you posted on FB Kelly, so jealous of your new warm climate. I particularly wish I had the funds to visit this year…winter has been brutal.
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this is a bright idea, simple and tasty – it was the touch of wasabi that makes me want to try this treat – and as you say, hearts aren’t just for valentines day
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Thanks Claire, they were very tasty and pretty too.
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