Lemon-herb schmear

Derived from the Yiddish word shmirn, ‘schmear’ is New York deli slang for any condiment that’s spread onto a bagel. The flavour of schmears may vary from sweet to jalapeño, but the lemon and herb combination here complements a bagel with salmon.

Credit: Brett Stevens

• prep

  5 minutes

• cook

  5 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 250 g packet cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• 3 spring onions, finely chopped
• 2 tsp dill, finely chopped
• 2 tsp chives, finely chopped

Makes 1 cup (250 ml)

Instructions

Process all ingredients in a food processor until smooth. It will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Serve with bagels with lox.

Photography by Brett Stevens

As seen in Feast magazine, October 2011, Issue 2.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.