Everything Bagel with Parmesan Crunch

This recipe was born the moment I set out to make the best bagel I could possibly make with all of my favorite toppings.

A bagel with all the best fillings — smoked salmon (the flakey kind), red onion, dill, cucumber and everything but the bagel seasoning.

There were a few notes I had on bagels that I thought once tweaked slightly could elevate them further. First, being the cream cheese — it felt like a void or an empty space that could be elevated with more texture and flavor. Another element to bagels I thought needed improvement was the texture of red onion — I hated when I bit into a bagel and the stringiness of red onion came sliding out.

I set out to improve the crunch factor of the bagel, increase the texture and flavor of cream cheese and reduce the stringiness of red onion as well as it’s likelihood of sliding out with every bite.

The result is this gorgeous pink confetti cream cheese that dots the bagel with more color and texture with grated red onion. An additional layer of umami develops whilst crusting the bagels in grated parmesan, as well as an insured texture and crunch component.

Overall, this is definitely the bagel of my dreams. The next step in this direction would be to make my own bagels, though that’s a territory I have yet to dip my toes into.

Crusting the bagel with parmesan is just that little bit of extra work that really pays off. It’s important to use a non-stick pan for this one. I tried it twice on my cast iron skillet and the cheese stuck to it both times. Also, you want to let it cool down before taking it off the pan as it crisps up as it cools.

These parmesan crusted pink confetti everything bagels are so fun for a birthday breakfast party or brunch. They require more effort than your average joe bagel — which is why they require a special occasion, or just a Saturday morning dedicated to creating these fun bagels as an activity.

Ingredients:

Parmesan crusted bagel:

1 bagel, halved, I used a brioche bagel

drizzle of oil

a heaping handful of grated parmesan

Pink confetti cream cheese (serves two bagels):

3 tbsp cream cheese

1/2 tsp pink peppercorns, ground

1/2 tsp black sesame seeds

1/2 tsp white sesame seeds

1/2 tsp poppy seeds

1 garlic clove, grated

1/2 red onion, grated

squeeze of fresh lemon juice

zest of 1 lemon

pinch of salt

Fillings/garnishes:

1/4 cucumber, sliced into thin rounds

1 small Heirloom tomato, sliced into thin rounds

Fresh dill

Smoked salmon - in my opinion, the flakey kind is more superior to the soft kind.

Avocado, thinly sliced

Microgreens

Salmon Roe caviar

Flakey salt

Extra seasonings:

1/4 tsp sumac

1/4 tsp poppy seeds

1/4 tsp black sesame seeds

1/4 tsp white sesame seeds

Method:

To create the parmesan crusted bagel: Heat a non-stick pan, very important, on medium heat and drizzle in oil. Sprinkle parmesan into two rounds about the size of a bagel. Once it turns crispy and lightly golden, place the bagel halves down flat onto the rounds and pat into the parmesan as it’s crisping up. Once the parmesan turns a deep golden brown, turn off the heat and leave the bagels and parmesan to cool and crisp up for about 5 minutes. They will crisp as they cool. If you try and remove them from the pan straight away, it’s likely the cheese wouldn’t have hardened yet and will be gooey. After 5 minutes, scrape the parmesan crusted bagels off the pan using a spatula. Set aside as you prepare the rest.

To make the confetti cream cheese: Start by grinding pink peppercorns in a morter and pestle or a spice grinder. Grate garlic using a microplane and red onion using a box grater. Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl until well combined.

To assemble: Smear pink confetti cream cheese on each bagel half. On the bottom half, start with flaked smoked salmon, tomato, cucumber, avocado, extra seasonings, dill, microgreens, caviar, salt. Slice in half and enjoy your life.