Archer & Biscuit: Stuffed smoked salmon & honey biscuits

It’s been exactly a year since we brought our kitties home from their amazing foster mom, so I wanted to create a meal that embodies their personalities. Originally named Parker and Pierce, they were bonded brothers who were originally abandoned as newborns at a rescue with no mother. In the weeks after they came home, their personalities emerged. We renamed Parker as “Archer” because he impressed us with his play style: he launches himself like an arrow to chase and dive at his prey, effortlessly racing on the tops of furniture as though he’s flying. Pierce became “Biscuit”, because of his penchant for kneading with his white toes and mixed toe beans, often with his belly up but also in pretty much any direction. He is our little bear who prefers to spend afternoons cuddled up to you on the couch. They are loving, silly, slightly deranged, and playful cats.

Archer is the more adventurous of the two: often sauntering up to strangers to observe them from a meter away, and regularly has to be stopped from walking into other people’s apartments if their doors are open. He likes eating bonito flakes, prosciutto, fried chicken, butter, shrimp, cream cheese, and of course, smoked salmon. We joke that he has refined tastes. In this dish, he’s represented by a smoked salmon stuffed with cream cheese and herbs.

Biscuit prefers a world with no surprises: days spent hanging out, eating his canned cat food, chasing his favourite toys, and lounging in a sunny window. He has serious FOMO though – when his brother goes on an adventure, he reluctantly follows along. We can’t leave him home (because he cries to follow) but he also cannot wait to get back into his territory when he’s out. He’s a complex guy and I relate. He likes bacon, butter, and any cat food: he will often wait for Archer to walk away from a meal before he comes in for a “double rinse” of Archer’s plate. In this dish, he is represented by the epitome of comfort food: a flakey, buttery, honey-glazed biscuit.

Archer & Biscuit: Stuffed smoked salmon & honey biscuits

Recipe by Tiny Kitchen CravingsCourse: Breakfast, AppetizersDifficulty: Easy

Servings

6

servings

Prep time

30

minutes

Cooking time

16

minutes

Ingredients

• Archer (stuffed smoked salmon)

• 4 oz (113 g) spreadable cream cheese

• 2 tbsp fresh herbs (chives, dill, parsley), chopped

• 2 tsp lemon juice

• Vegetable oil, for coating muffin tins

• 10.5 oz (300g) smoked salmon, sliced

• 1/2 cup cooked seafood (shrimp, scallops, etc.), seasoned with salt.

• Biscuit (honey biscuits)

• 1 cup cake flour

• 1 cup all-purpose flour

• 3 tsp baking powder

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 2 tsp sugar

• 5 tbsp butter, room temperature

• 1 egg

• 1/2 cup milk

• 2 tbsp honey

Directions

• Archer (stuffed smoked salmon)
• In a small bowl, mix cream cheese, herbs and lemon juice. Set aside.
• Oil 6 muffin tins (preferably silicone muffin tins, as removing the assembled smoked salmon will be easier). Using the sliced smoked salmon, line the bottom and sides of each muffin cup, allowing extra salmon to hang above the top of each cup. This extra salmon allows you to enclose the stuffing when it’s folded down.
• Divide the cream cheese into the bottom of each muffin cup. Divide seafood into each muffin cup. Fold overhang of salmon onto seafood, so that the seafood and cream cheese are completely enclosed. Cover muffin tins and refrigerate until ready to serve.
• Biscuit (honey biscuits)
• Pre-heat oven to 375°F (190°C). In a large bowl, whisk together the cake flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt.
• Using a pastry cutter or two knives, cut butter into the flour so that it is distributed evenly in the flour. Small, pea-sized clumps are expected.
• In a small bowl, beat milk and eggs together. Drizzle over the flour mixture. Using your hand, reach into the bottom of the bowl and scoop upward, helping to distribute the milk without kneading. This could take about 10 scoops.
• Fold and knead mixture to form a loose dough. Do not knead until dough is elastic: this will cause the biscuit to have a tough texture.
• On a floured surface, roll into a rectangle 1/2″ thick and cut into 6 biscuits or 12 small biscuits (I prefer using a knife and cutting the dough into rectangles to avoid wastage, but some people prefer cutting circles using a biscuit cutter).
• Transfer biscuits onto a baking sheet, spacing them 1/2″ apart. Bake on the middle rack for 14 minutes or until the tops are lightly browned. Brush with honey and bake for an additional 3 minutes. Remove from oven and glaze with honey again. Biscuits are best if served immediately.
• To assemble
• Place one Archer next to one or two Biscuit(s) on a plate as an appetizer or breakfast.