An easy, generous and aesthetic recipe
For your New Year’s Eve guests, here is a warm idea, to share with family, friends or to enjoy in front of a Christmas film. Inspired by the famous Christmas tree, this edible fake tree, made of cheese, will be a sensation at the table. It’s an accessible and easy-to-make trompe-l’oeil. In the recipe, there is cream cheese (or a mixture of labneh and Greek yogurt), smoked salmon, honey, thyme, parsley, and dill. A promise of deliciousness! To recall Christmas baubles, originally edible, we rely on pomegranate seeds, goji berries, and green olives. Thyme, parsley and dill evoke the green needles of the fir tree.
A starter to prepare the day before the 25th
This recipe shared by Lou Elsener, aka @louloukitchen_ on Instagram, is presented in cone form. Don’t worry, it’s easy as pie.
On Christmas Eve, or New Year’s Eve, place the Greek yogurt in a clean cloth with 1 tbsp. teaspoon of salt. Close the cloth, place everything in a colander and let the yogurt drain so that its consistency is thicker (if you want to avoid this step, choose cream cheese or labneh directly). Leave to rest overnight in a cool place. The next day, mix the labneh obtained with half of the smoked salmon in pieces, with honey and thyme. Arrange everything on cling film and form a cone-shaped tree. Refrigerate for 1 hour. Once the hour has passed, take out your tree then add the chopped herbs, pomegranate seeds, goji berries, the rest of the salmon, the olives, and reshape the tree a little. And now, like the Christmas lights, you can inaugurate a festive tasting! It is possible to serve this tree as a starter or pre-dessert, before an iced or pastry log.
To imitate the crest we put on the tree, you can cut a piece of pineapple into a star shape or use a matzo star. In cooking, the simplest recipes, with good ingredients, are often the best. So, for a strong tree, as Lou Elsener insists, choose labneh, cream cheese or Greek yogurt (which you will drain), but not “Greek-style” yogurt.
Happy tasting! Don’t forget to leave some for Santa.
