Salmon or Crab Mini-Bagel Bites

I’m a major fan of mini-bagels! I like them for breakfast, I like them for lunch, and I love serving them at parties. One of the tastiest and easiest appetizers I make takes only a few minutes: Mini-Bagel Salmon Bites. 

Allowing 1-½ mini-bagels per person, split each bagel in half, fanning them attractively on a large tray or platter. Place variously sized bowls of soft cream cheese, well-drained capers, and thinly sliced red onions on the platter, remembering to add a spreader for the cheese, a small spoon for the capers, and a cocktail fork for spearing up the onions. 

Open a large package of smoked salmon lox, separating and pinching up the pieces to create a pleasing display between the small bowls and sliced bagels. A parsley garnish in one corner of the tray and a small pair of tongs or a second fork for the salmon to complete the tableau - et voilà! Prepare this in advance and chill it, covered, in the fridge. I’ve been making this appetizer practically since I was born, so ... 

Time for a change! Mini-Bagel Crab Bites are also excellent. The other day, I peeked into the freezer and found a package of mini-bagels I’d forgotten about. With a dinner guest due at any moment, I sliced four bagels into thirds and crisped them very lightly at 350 deg. for 5 min. 

When the sliced bagels emerged from the oven, I grabbed some homemade pesto (the commercial kind works equally well), spreading the barest smear over each sliced bagel. I found a chunk of artificial crab in the fridge (canned tuna or salmon would have been fine, too), drained it well, patted it dry, and shredded it thinly. This produced about a cup of crab, which I mixed with 2 tbsp. mayonnaise, ¼ tsp. dill, ⅛ tsp. salt, and ½ tsp. lemon juice. Heaping this mixture on each sliced mini-bagel, I dusted the works with a dash of Parmesan cheese and returned it to the oven for a further 10 min., serving them hot.

Relax and you’ll have as much fun as your guests! 

Slice mini-bagels into thirds.

Toast very lightly.

Spread with a bare smear of pesto.

Slice crab very thin.

Combine mayo with a pinch of dill.

Heap onto sliced, lightly toasted bagels. 

Dust with Parmesan, bake, and serve hot. These go fast!