The first time I heard my mother-in-law ask, “Will someone get the salmon out?” the morning of Thanksgiving, I was perplexed to say the least.
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Becoming part of a new family means learning new traditions, which can vary greatly between different geographical areas in the country. I grew up in Mobile, Alabama, and my husband grew up in Kansas City, Missouri, so there has been a bit of a learning curve culturally for the two of us when we visit our families. My husband’s family is massive (like more than 50 first cousins on one side, y’all), so holidays are a production around there. And even though Christmas is a big deal, Thanksgiving is a bigger get-together for the entire family. This makes sense in Kansas City: There’s good food, football, and it’s usually not too cold yet. What’s not to love?
Overall, the Hodes family’s Thanksgiving meal looks similar to the ones I grew up on, although there’s a lot more dishes on the buffet and a lot more place settings to fill. There’s turkey, pies, and a gorgeous assortment of side dishes with all the usual suspects. But the biggest surprise of a Thanksgiving dish to me came in the form of an appetizer. The first time I heard my mother-in-law ask, “Will someone get the salmon out?” the morning of Thanksgiving, I was perplexed to say the least. Like a good daughter-in-law, though, I reserved any judgment and waited to see what this salmon-on-Thanksgiving business was all about.
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The Famous Thanksgiving Salmon Appetizer
Though the salmon appetizer tradition started decades ago (we’ll get to that), it’s actually very in vogue right now, as it comes with a really beautiful presentation on a board. I’ll share the specifics below, but the gist of it is smoked salmon, a homemade sauce, crackers, and a few toppings. Not only does it look gorgeous on display, but it’s light enough that it won’t ruin the Thanksgiving meal.
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Ironically, the Thanksgiving salmon actually started as Christmas salmon. The story goes that a friend of my husband’s uncle made the original sauce to pair with smoked salmon one Christmas, and his uncle, who’s an incredible cook himself, adapted it to his own recipe the following year. “It was so good,” says my husband’s grandmother Rosalyn, that he “wanted to serve it every holiday.” Eventually, it became such a tradition that the words “Thanksgiving salmon” were as synonymous with the holiday as “Thanksgiving turkey” in the household.
Like I said, the ingredient list for this appetizer is pretty simple. Plus, it has the photo-worthy presentation of an elaborate charcuterie board without as hefty of a price tag. On your board, you’ll need smoked salmon, crackers (we usually use large water crackers), chopped boiled egg, chopped red onion, fresh dill, capers, and the homemade sauce. Though I share Grandma Roz’s recipe card for the sauce here, take it with a grain of salt (or without one, if you prefer). This recipe is meant to be adaptable to your taste and what you have on hand. We usually start with the recipe on the card as a baseline and alter it to our liking based on texture and taste. Don’t skip the instruction to let it chill overnight before serving: The flavors need time to meld, folks! You can stack your cracker however you please, but we usually start with a swipe of sauce so the toppings stick to it.
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My husband and I have prepared the famous Thanksgiving salmon board for our friends many times, and it’s often with the selfish intention of enjoying it ourselves. Though we showcase this appetizer as a choose-your-own-adventure board, you could also plate it with individually prepared crackers for guests to grab and go (similar to our Smoked Salmon-Potato Chip Canapés). We’ll usually purchase some everything bagels and cream cheese to repurpose the salmon board for breakfast or dinner, and its ingredients would even be delicious on a flatbread.