Everything Bagel & Lox Crostini
Ingredients
For the lox:
1⁄4 cup kosher salt
1⁄4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons chopped fresh fennel fronds
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill leaves
1⁄2 lb skin-on center-cut salmon fillet
For the everything seasoning:
1 tablespoon black sesame seeds, toasted
1 tablespoon white sesame seeds, toasted
2 tablespoons poppy seeds
1 teaspoon dried minced onion
1 teaspoon dried minced garlic
1 teaspoon Maldon sea salt
For serving:
2 everything bagels (unsliced)
Extra-virgin olive oil, for brushing
Kosher salt
1 cup (about 1⁄2 lb) Delice de la Vallee cheese, or 1⁄2 cup (about 1⁄4 lb) each fresh goat cheese and cream cheese, at room temperature, lightly whipped together
Fresh fennel fronds and dill leaves, for garnish
Preparation
To prepare the lox: In a small bowl, stir together the salt, sugar, fennel, and dill for the cure mix. Lay a piece of plastic wrap large enough to wrap the salmon securely on a work surface. Place the salmon fillet on the plastic wrap and sprinkle with half of the cure mix. Flip the fillet over and sprinkle with the remaining cure mix. Wrap the salmon tightly and place it in a glass dish.
Refrigerate for 12 hours. Flip the fillet and return to the refrigerator for 12 hours longer. The salmon will feel firmer after this 24-hour cure.
Unwrap the fillet, rinse off the cure with cold running water, and pat dry with a paper towel. The lox can be rewrapped and refrigerated until ready to serve. It will keep for up to 1 week.
To make the everything seasoning: In a small bowl, stir together all of the ingredients, mixing well. Transfer to an airtight container and reserve at room temperature until ready to use. It will keep for up to 1 month.
To toast the bagel slices: Preheat the oven to 325°F. Slice the bagels vertically (the opposite direction of how you would typically slice a bagel) 1/8 inch thick. You should get about 18 slices from each bagel. Arrange the bagel slices in a single layer on a sheet pan.
Brush one side with oil and sprinkle with salt. Bake the slices for 6 to 8 minutes, rotating the pan 180 degrees halfway through baking, until golden brown and crispy.
Let cool before using.
To serve: Place the salmon on a cutting board and cut away the skin, slicing as close to the skin as possible to keep the fillet intact. Slice the fillet into thin ribbon-like strips.
Spread some of the cheese on each crisp bagel slice and top with a ribbon of salmon. Garnish with a generous sprinkle of everything seasoning, fennel fronds, and dill.
Arrange on a platter and serve.