Smoked Salmon/Salmon Butter in Phyllo Cups

The day after our annual holiday party, we were going to a small dinner party and I wanted to bring the hors d'eouvres. What I had leftover from the party was recombined into different appetizers, since my hosts had also been our guests the night before. This has to be the best combination of items I have ever put together, both taste wise and visually.


Ingredients:
smoked salmon
salmon butter
creme fraiche
fresh dill
wasabi flavored whitefish eggs

Ingredients for the Salmon Butter:
6oz smoked salmon
4oz softened sweet butter
juice of fresh lemon
chopped fresh dill
freshly grated black pepper

Directions for the Salmon Butter:
This one's easy; place all ingredients into a food processor and pulse to blend. Start out with small amounts of lemon juice, dill and pepper, then adjust for your taste.

Ingredients for the Phyllo Cups:
phyllo sheets
extra virgin olive oil

Directions for the Phyllo Cups:
First you need to make the phyllo cups using 3 layers of phyllo per cup. Brush the olive oil sparingly onto the phyllo, add a 2nd layer of phyllo, brush that with the olive oil or if you prefer you may use unsalted butter, then a 3rd layer of phyllo. For easy assembly, I cut the phyllo into long strips the length of the sheet and 2.5" wide, layered the long sheets, then after the 3 layers were achieved I cut the strip into 2.5"" lengths with a scissors. If you prefer you may use entire sheets, then cut accordingly. 2 1/2" squares will work just as well. Fit each layered phyllo square into the mini muffin pan and press them into place. Bake at at 350 degrees until they turn golden brown. Set aside. These keep nicely for weeks if stacked on a tray and covered with a cloth, so they can be made well in advance.

Directions for Assembly:

Set up the phyllo cups in a line and cut enough salmon to fit inside each cup. Place the salmon butter in a pastry bag and squeeze onto the salmon. Add a dollop of creme fraiche, a sprig of dill and a small amount of the wasabi caviar.