Sunday with a Schmear
Bagel brought to you by the Olde Brooklyn Bagel Shoppe
I dare someone to find a more quintessential New York breakfast than a bagel and lox. I dare them, I really do.
We didn’t grow up practicing Judaism in my house, but hell if that didn’t stop me from embracing the food that my ancestors brought to the U.S. It was a good day when a matzo ball soup came around (AKA the superior chicken noodle) to the dinner table, and an even better one if ever the word latke became whispered on the passing wind. To be honest, I could go on for a while talking about matzo and latkes (and in all likelihood I will at some point), and the mysterious, transgenerational comfort that scarfing some down on a cold winter day never fails to bring.
But enough about that (for now). We’re talking lox.
Lox can be identified by several qualities:
1) It is a fillet of (brined) salmon, most frequently cut from the belly.
2) It is never cooked, but it can be and is often smoked (my personal preference).
3) It’s damn delicious.
Named varieties of lox denote different curing methods, such as Nova Lox, named for its salmon originating from Nova Scotia (which itself has several subtypes), which is cured then cold-smoked, or Gravlax, which comes from the Nordic countries and is cured with sugar, salt, and a variety of herbs and/or spices. Kippered salmon is hot-smoked, resembling the texture of cooked salmon.
So, we’ve now got our essential protein. Sleek, smoky, a shiny pinkish-orange hue. You could slap that on a fresh slice of crisp, toasted bread and call it a day. I regularly do. But there’s still more to be done.
The reason that a healthy schmear of cream cheese is so important, versus the does-anyone-here-know-the-Heimlich-maneuver-I’m-choking glob that certain bagel shops tend to give you is balance. The cream cheese is certainly important, but it is still a supporting actor. A condiment. Too much and you lose sight of the other key players.
Moving down the stack here, we’ve got carbs covered via the bagel, protein in the lox, and now an indulgent but complimentary bit of fat through the cream cheese. The balance of flavors is smooth, absolutely lacking in vegetables (arugula would make for an excellent inclusion), but tasty. Done deal, right? Wrong. By itself the cured salmon should have enough sodium, but once the cream cheese is introduced it ends up mellowing out the savory pop in conjunction with the doughiness of the bagel.
Enter, capers. The final piece of the puzzle. Those little briny bits of goodness reignite the pairing, sending shocks of saltwater across the placid seas presented before it. Dynamism. A perfect, hearty, handheld breakfast. Distinctly Jewish-American. Distinctly delicious (The onions are a bonus).
Step aside bacon egg and cheese. You’re not half bad yourself. But you’re still second fiddle.
