Very special. That's how I describe this sandwich. That said, for me, every component must be "just so". It's got to be a lightly-toasted New York-style bagel -- preferably an everything bagel, but, an egg bagel is perfectly acceptable too. As for the requisite cream cheese, it's gotta be Philadelphia brand chive and onion spread. I prefer smoked salmon to lox and prefer lox to gravlax, so, let's leave it at "smoked salmon, lox or gravlax, in order of preference". Also, no breakfast sandwich would be complete without an egg or two, and a tender, light chive- and onion-laced creamy-dreamy folded French omelette (which I affectionately refer to as "upscale scrambled eggs") is what initially turned me on to this over-the-top, very-very-special sandwich.
Lox, gravlax, and smoked salmon -- they're all cured salmon products, & while they look similar, they are different.
Lox is associated with breakfast or brunch -- at least for me it is. Derived from the Yiddish word lax, meaning salmon, lox is taken from the belly of the fish then very-thinly-sliced. It gets salt-cured about three months and does not undergo any smoking process afterward.
Gravlax is pretty much the same thing as lox -- it undergoes the salt cure and does not get smoked. That said, gravlax has spices added to the salt cure (usually sugar, salt and dill), then it's prepped with a seasoning that often includes juniper berry, pepper, and aquavit.
Smoked salmon is salt cured and smoked afterward, one of two ways: hot-smoked (at 145º for about 8 hours) and cold-smoked (no higher than 80º for about 15 hours). Hot-smoked salmon is dryer and smokier, while cold-smoked is moister, less smoky and more similar to lox.
For each bagel sandwich (listed in order of assembly:
1 New York-style everything or egg bagel per sandwich, split in half and lightly-toasted
2 tablespoons Philadelphia brand chive & onion cream cheese spread
3 thin slices smoked salmon*
1 chive- & onion-laced folded French omelette, prepared as directed below
baby arugula leaves, for garnish
* Note: The package of smoked salmon in the photo weighs 4 ounces (and it's also lemon-pepper flavored, which is a favorite of mine). In my kitchen this yields three sandwiches with a goodly amount of salmon on each large-sized bagel sandwich -- adjust the amount to your liking.
For each chive- & onion-laced folded French omelette:
1 jumbo egg, at room temperature
2 tablespoons heavy cream
2 grinds freshly-ground sea salt
4 grinds freshly-ground peppercorn blend
1 tablespoon minced chives
1 tablespoon minced red onion
2 teaspoons salted butter
~Step 1. In a 1-cup measuring container, using a fork, whisk together the egg, cream, sea salt and peppercorn blend. Mince the chives and red onion. In an 8" omelette pan over low heat, melt the butter. Increase heat to medium (no higher), briefly rewhisk egg mixture and pour it into pan. Sprinkle the chives and onions over the top.
~Step 2. Be prepared to work quickly. Grab the pan with your dominant hand, and, via tilting the pan at various angles in conjunction with lifting the pan on and off the heat, cook the omelette for 45-60 seconds, and stop immediately when the surface is still slightly-creamy and shiny.
~Step 3. Remove the pan from the heat. With the aid of a spatula fold the left and right sides of the omelette up and into the center. With the aid of the spatula, fold the remaining top and bottom sides over the right and left sides to form a neat packet, about the size of the bagel.
~Step 4. To assemble the sandwiches, slice and lightly toast the bagel. Spread 2 tablespoons of the chive and onion cream cheese spread over the bottom of each bagel half. Cut and arrange 3 thin slices of salmon to fit on the bottom half. Gently place the omelette atop the salmon -- if you were wondering about that thin spot in the center of the omelette, you can stop, the bagel has a hole in the center. Garnish with arugula leaves.
Slice sandwiches into halves or quarters & serve ASAP:
Enjoy every dainty, delicious chive talkin' bagel bite:
Smoked Salmon & Folded Omelet Bagel Sandwich: Recipe yields instructions to make folded French omelettes, and, assemble smoked salmon and folded-omelette bagel sandwiches.
Special Equipment List: 1-cup measuring container; fork; cutting board; chef's knife; 8" nonstick skillet; spatula; toaster or toaster oven; butter/cream cheese spreader
Cook's Note: So what is a frambled egg? A funny typo? "Frambled" is supposed to mean "a cross between a fried egg and a scrambled egg". For fifty years I've been calling these "lazy scrambled eggs", because it is easier than making scrambled eggs. For forty years my kids have been calling them "ugly eggs" because they are. Ugly maybe, but ~ Lox, Caviar & Frambled Egg Breakfast ~ is a decidedly easy and delicious way to turn ordinary into extraordinary.
"We are all in this food world together." ~ Melanie Preschutti
(Recipe, Commentary and Photos courtesy of Melanie's Kitchen/Copyright 2018)
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