Instructions: Chef Ney,

I recently purchased very thinly sliced cold smoked salmon for a cocktail party, and would like some suggestions on how to prepare and present it.

Fetter

Top quality cold-smoked salmon is the most reasonably-priced delicacy you can present at a party. Thinly-sliced, dense black bread can be displayed near the salmon. Guests can help themselves by combining the two for a cocktail-sized open sandwich. Or canapes can be pre-made and passed out.

To do this, place a piece of smoked salmon as topping on small 1 1/2-inch slices of cucumber and black bread. For extra flavor, I like to squeeze the juice from a quarter cup of prepared horseradish and mix it with 1/3-cup of mayonnaise, a teaspoon of lemon juice and a mini-dash of ground white pepper. Add a dab of the horseradish spread to the bread, and crown each canape with two capers.

You can also serve the salmon simply sliced and presented on a chilled plate, cutting board or marble slab. Traditional accompaniments are often arranged in separate tiny bowls. They usually include minced shallots, minced fresh parsley, finely chopped cooked egg white, egg yolk and capers. A cruet of extra virgin olive oil lends a flavorful few drops to the salmon. Lemon wedges and pepper help to spark the smoky flavor. Enjoy!

Dear Chef Ney,

I have a smoked salmon in the freezer. How should it be served?

You didnt say whether you have cold-smoked or hot-smoked salmon in your freezer. Some chefs might disagree, but I think the method of smoking helps determine how to serve it.

Cold-smoked salmon should be a brilliant orange-red. It has been cured in salt and smoked for a long time at a low temperature. Lox and nova, smoked fish you might find at a kosher deli, are cold-smoked salmon. Scottish, Irish and North American salmon from the East Coast are usually cold-smoked. Cold-smoked salmon should be served chilled or at room temperature.

Cold-smoked salmon should be thinly sliced, on the bias (diagonal) and served with a chewy bread like bagels or black bread (dark pumpernickel).

Finely minced red onion, chopped hard-cooked egg (yolk and white separated), tiny capers, freshly ground black pepper and, sometimes, plain horseradish are popular accompaniments to smoked salmon. A light cream cheese or neufchatel will help the fish cling to the bread slices.

Hot-smoked salmon, on the other hand, is fully cooked. Therefore, these fish have a browned exterior with an opaque, pastel pink or orange inside.

Rather than slicing this delicacy, I love to gently force the layers apart with the tines of a fork. Traditionally, the Native Americans of the Pacific Northwest hot-smoke fresh Pacific salmon over warm alderwood fires. I use applewood, cherry, hickory or any hardwood.

For appetizers, I serve hot-smoked salmon warm on grainy crackers with a creamy horseradish sauce of light mayo, freshly squeezed lemon juice and grated horseradish.

Tossing chunks of this rich fish with hot pasta bowties (farfalle), scallions, fresh tarragon, extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, fresh black pepper and steamed snow peas creates a luscious meal. When home fries and crisp onions are just ready to come out of the skillet, toss in flakes of smoked salmon, sprinkle black pepper and turn a pedestrian side dish into a brunch entree to die for.

Whichever route you take, be sure to sneak a few morsels off the cutting board and onto your tastebuds, before the platter leaves for the table - nothing really tops plain smoked salmon.

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