Try a clever Christmas-themed update on the ‘butter board’ trend (that’s butter spread on a board with various toppings, ready to slather on bread)

Serves 6-8

Ingredients

300g garlic & herb soft cheese
½ cucumber
½ fennel
50g rocket
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
250g smoked salmon
½ red onion, thinly sliced
50g pomegranate seeds
2 lemons, cut into wedges
blinis, melba toast or mini bagels, to serve

Method

STEP 1
Take a large round serving board (ours was 45cm in diameter) and use a small butter or palette knife to neatly apply dabs of the soft cheese around the edge of the board to create two rings, in a sunburst shape, leaving a space in the middle.

STEP 2
Use a vegetable peeler or mandoline to shave thin ribbons of cucumber and slices of fennel, saving any fennel fronds to scatter over at the end. Toss the fennel and cucumber ribbons together with the rocket, a drizzle of the olive oil, squeeze of lemon and some seasoning. Arrange the salad on top of the cheese, then tear the salmon into smaller pieces and drape these over the top.

STEP 3
Scatter over the onion and pomegranate seeds, drizzle over the remaining olive oil and season with a grinding of black pepper. Tuck some lemon wedges into the salad and pile blinis, mini bagels or melba toasts on the side. Serve in the middle of the table so everyone
can help themselves.