Smoked salmon on puff pastry is my kind of unfussy glamour. A sesame-speckled crust, lemony horseradish cream, then loose ribbons of salmon with capers, rocket and dill. Crisp meets cool, rich meets bright — and it’s on the table in about half an hour.

Smoked Salmon Puff Pastry Tart for an Easy, Elegant Brunch

There are mornings when I want a little ceremony without any faff. That’s when this smoked salmon puff pastry tart comes out to play. The pastry does the heavy lifting; I simply add a lemon-bright horseradish cream and drape silky ribbons of salmon.

It looks dressed for the occasion, yet behaves like weeknight cooking. Better still, the whole thing is oven-to-table in half an hour, which leaves more time for pouring fizz.

Why This Works

Puff pastry loves two things: heat and contrast. We give it both. A hot oven turns that plain sheet into a deeply golden base with a sesame-speckled border. Then the cool topping arrives—soft cream cheese loosened with lemon and a jab of horseradish.

Over that, this smoked salmon puff pastry tart takes its final flourish: peppery rocket, briny capers, and feathery dill. The result is crisp meeting creamy, plus rich meeting fresh. It’s the sort of balance that makes a second slice inevitable.

The Look (Because We Eat With Our Eyes)

I always brush the pastry border with egg and scatter black sesame seeds. It isn’t just for crunch; that speckled edge photographs beautifully. If the centre puffs, press it down gently while warm. You’ll have a neat, shallow stage for the topping.

Think loose swirls of salmon rather than flat layers. Tuck in tufts of rocket and a few capers. Finish with dill and, if you like, a final squeeze of lemon. It should look relaxed and a little abundant, like something you threw together with absurd ease.

When to Serve

Christmas morning is the obvious moment. However, I think Boxing Day brunch might be better, low stakes, high pleasure. New Year’s Eve nibbles also work, especially if you want something savoury amid the fizz and sweet.

On quieter weekends, I serve the tart for lunch with roasted beetroot or a punchy little salad. It never feels like leftovers food, yet it’s very forgiving of whatever you have in the fridge.

Set the table with small plates, fetch a knife for generous slicing, and let the tart speak for itself. It’s unfussy glamour. And this smoked salmon puff pastry tart tastes like a celebration and comes together in an absolute doddle. You can watch this being made over on my Tik Tok and Instagram Channel too!

You might also like

• Celeriac & Bramley Apple Soup – Silky, tangy and light; a lovely starter before rich smoked salmon puff pastry tarts.