Smoked Salmon Cucumber/Mousse D'oeuvres Recipe

• 4 oz smoked salmon, diced
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons sour cream
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh dill
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 3 tablespoons heavy cream, chilled
• 4 thin slices pumpernickel bread
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 1 English (hothouse) cucumber
• Fresh dill sprigs

• Using a metal blade, place the smoked salmon into your food processor blend until relatively smooth.
• Add the mayonnaise and sour cream and continue to blend until the mixture is as smooth.  
• Add the chopped dill and pepper during the final few seconds.
• Transfer your mixture to a bowl.
•  Cover and refrigerate.
• Place the cream in a chilled bowl and whisk until soft peaks form.
• Remove the salmon mixture from the refrigerator and, using a rubber spatula, gently fold in the whipped cream. 
• Preheat a broiler.
• Using a pastry brush, lightly brush both sides of each bread slice with the melted butter. Arrange the bread slices on a baking sheet and place under the broiler. Toast, turning once, until golden brown on both sides, about 30 seconds on each side.
• Remove from the broiler.
• Using a round cutter the same diameter as the cucumber, cut out 4 rounds from each bread slice.

Presentation:

Cut the cucumber crosswise into 48 thin slices. Place the rounds of toasted bread on a work surface and put a small spot of the chilled salmon mousse on each--just enough to hold a cucumber slice in place on the bread. Now place a slice of the cucumber on each bread slice and press it gently. Spoon about 1 tablespoon of the mousse onto the center of the cucumber slice, top with another cucumber slice, then repeat the process again so that there are 3 cucumber slices sandwiching 2 layers of mousse. Repeat this for the remaining toasts.

Decorate each sandwich with a small dollop of the mousse and a dill sprig and transfer to a platter and serve immediately.