Paper Crane Appetizer (Printable)

Delicate folded cured meats and crisp crackers assembled to resemble a graceful crane for elegant entertaining.

# What You'll Need:

→ Cured Meats

01 - 3.5 oz prosciutto, thinly sliced
02 - 3.5 oz smoked turkey breast, thinly sliced
03 - 2.8 oz bresaola or pastrami, thinly sliced

→ Crackers

04 - 16 triangular whole-grain crackers, approximately 2 inch sides
05 - 8 black sesame or poppy seed triangular crackers

→ Garnishes

06 - 1 small bunch chives
07 - 1 small carrot, peeled
08 - 2 tbsp cream cheese
09 - 1 tbsp black sesame seeds

# How to make it:

01 - Slice the peeled carrot very thinly using a vegetable peeler. Cut some slices into narrow strips to serve as the crane's beak and legs.
02 - On a large serving platter, fold prosciutto and smoked turkey slices into sharp triangular shapes inspired by origami, layering them to create a three-dimensional body.
03 - Fold bresaola or pastrami slices into triangles and arrange them fanned upward to replicate wings in flight.
04 - Position triangular crackers beneath and beside the cured meats along the body and wings to enhance the crane silhouette.
05 - Use cream cheese to affix carrot strips as the crane’s beak and legs. Lay chives to mimic delicate tail feathers or wing accents.
06 - Sprinkle black sesame seeds at the eye position and across wing areas to add texture.
07 - Serve immediately or loosely cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate up to one hour before serving.

# Recipe Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It looks like you spent hours in culinary school when it actually took twenty minutes and a little origami spirit.
  • Your guests will be so impressed they might forget to check if the food is actually delicious (spoiler: it is).
  • Zero cooking required means you can make this even when your oven feels like a personal enemy.
02 -
  • The cream cheese dries and sets quickly in the fridge, so if you're making this ahead, apply it just before serving or your decorative details will slide around like a toddler on ice.
  • Buy your cured meats from a real butcher counter where they slice to order—pre-packaged meats are thicker and won't fold with the same graceful precision.
03 -
  • Request your cured meats sliced paper-thin and ask the butcher to separate each slice with paper between them—this prevents them from sticking and makes folding infinitely easier.
  • A small offset spatula becomes your best friend when positioning delicate elements; it gives you precision and control that your fingers simply can't match.
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