Good smoked salmon deserves star treatment. For an elegant appetizer or brunch entree serve it in crisp, melt-in-your-mouth phyllo shell garnished with lemon wedges. Accompany with a salad of mesclun greens and cucumber tossed in a light lemon vinaigrette.


CRUST
Olive oil nonstick cooking spray
4 sheets frozen phyllo dough, thawed
1 tablespoon butter, melted

TOPPING
1/2 cup light sour cream
1 tablespoon prepared horseradish
3 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
6 oz. thinly sliced smoked salmon
2 tablespoons finely chopped red onion
2 tablespoons capers, rinsed
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1. Heat oven to 375°F. Spray 11x8-inch rectangular tart pan* with cooking spray. Place 1 sheet of phyllo on work surface. Spray half the sheet with cooking spray; brush lightly with butter. Fold phyllo crosswise in half over sprayed portion. Spray with cooking spray; brush lightly with butter.

2. Place second sheet of phyllo on top. Spray, butter and fold as directed in step 1. Repeat with remaining 2 sheets phyllo.

3. Place phyllo in pan. Trim overhang to 1/4 inch; prick bottom with fork. (Crust can be made up to 1 month ahead. Wrap in plastic wrap, then foil; freeze. Do not thaw before baking.)

4. Set tart pan on baking sheet; bake 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on wire rack. (Crust can be baked up to 8 hours ahead. Cover and store at room temperature. To recrisp, heat in 350°F. oven for 5 to 10 minutes.)

5. In small bowl, mix sour cream, horseradish and 1 tablespoon of the dill. (Sauce can be prepared up to 24 hours ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)

6. To serve, remove crust from pan; place on serving platter. Spread sour cream mixture over crust; arrange salmon over sour cream. Sprinkle with onion, capers, remaining 2 tablespoons dill and pepper. Serve immediately.

TIP *If you don’t have a tart pan, spray baking sheet. In step 3, place phyllo on baking sheet. Cut squares out of each corner. Roll up edges to form rim on each side; brush with butter. Prick bottom and bake as directed.

6 servings

PER SERVING: 145 calories, 7 g total fat (2.5 g saturated fat), 8 g protein, 13.5 g carbohydrate, 20 mg cholesterol, 380 mg sodium, 1 g fiber