Jacques Pépin is one of my kitchen heroes. I picked up some really great techniques by watching his various shows on PBS. I’m still enamored by the way he wields that tiny little chef’s knife, tearing through piles onions in mere seconds. Also, Jacques has no use for tongs. I swear I’ve seen him stick his bare hands into pots of boiling water and skillets of smoking oil. Quite simply, the man is a legend.

Image: Szurdak&Pepin by Appraiser

It’s probably been at least five or six years since I saw him make these salmon cucumber rolls on his show. For some reason it has just stuck with me as a simple, yet elegant appetizer that will work for any occasion.

Instead of the cream cheese that Jacques uses in his recipe, we are going to keep it Paleo with some avocado mayo. Don’t worry, it’s not as intense as it sounds. The mayo really adds a creamy, yet non-dairy richness to the rolls.

Just place an avocado in a food processor or blender along with some salt, pepper, and lemon juice.

Start blending and slowly drizzle in a couple tablespoons of olive oil.

Once you’ve reached a nice, creamy consistency, you’re done. Stir in some chopped chives.

Using a vegetable peeler, make eight thin slices of cucumber.

Now it’s time to get messy. Place a thin layer of salmon on each cucumber slice and spread some mayo on top, and roll it up.

Garnish with a few chives stems and enjoy!

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Salmon Cucumber Rolls

Ingredients

8 thin slices of cucumber
4 oz smoked salmon
1 tablespoon chopped chives plus whole stems for garnish
1 avocado
2 tablespoons olive oil
juice from half a lemon
pinch sea salt
pinch black pepper

Instructions

In a food processor, combine the avocado, lemon juice, salt and pepper.
While the processor is blending, slowly pour in the olive oil.
Transfer mayo to a bowl and stir in chopped chives. Refrigerate for about 15 minutes.
Place a thin layer of salmon on a slice of cucumber. Spread some avocado mixture on top an roll.
Garnish by placing two chive stems in the middle of the roll. Enjoy!

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Notes

Yields about 8 rolls

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