Salmon Rillettes
Serves: 12
 
Our take on rillettes (meat slow-cooked in fat and stored in more fat) features fresh salmon poached in seasoned water and then mixed with chopped smoked salmon, melted butter, and heavy cream to achieve the unctuous texture of the traditional spread.
Ingredients
  • ½ cup water
  • 1 slice lemon
  • ½ shallot, sliced
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2 sprigs fresh dill
  • 3 ounces skinless fresh salmon fillet
  • 2 ounces smoked salmon, finely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
  • 1½ tablespoons heavy whipping cream
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh dill
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh chives
  • ½ tablespoon fresh lemon zest
  • ½ tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon finely chopped capers
  • ¼ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 12 (½-inch-thick) slices French bread, frozen
  • 1 tablespoon salted butter, softened
  • Garnish: thin radish slices and watercress
Instructions
  1. In a medium saucepan, combine ½ cup water, lemon slice, shallot, bay leaf, and dill sprigs. Add salmon fillet to pan. Bring water to a gentle boil. Adjust heat to bring water to a simmer, cover pan, and cook salmon for 1 minute. Remove pan from heat and let salmon sit in water to poach, approximately 20 minutes. Transfer salmon from poaching liquid to a clean surface. Using a fork, finely flake salmon.
  2. In a medium bowl, stir together flaked salmon, smoked salmon, butter, cream, dill, chives, lemon zest, lemon juice, capers, Worcestershire sauce, and pepper until combined. Pack salmon salad into a resealable glass jar or bowl, cover, and refrigerate until flavors meld, several hours and up to a day.
  3. Preheat oven to 400°. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
  4. Using a 2-inch round cutter, cut 12 rounds from frozen bread, discarding scraps. Spread a layer of softened butter onto bread rounds and place in a single layer on prepared baking sheet, butter side up.
  5. Bake until bread is light golden brown and crisp, 7 to 9 minutes.
  6. Spread a thick layer of salmon salad onto bread rounds.
  7. Garnish each canapé with a radish slice and a watercress sprig, if desired. Serve immediately.
Notes
Make-Ahead Tip: To create thick, even layers of salmon salad, place bread round inside the 2-inch round cutter, top bread round with salmon salad, pressing with a spoon to spread salmon salad to edges. Remove cutter. Repeat with remaining bread rounds and salmon salad.
Recipe by TeaTime Magazine at https://teatimemagazine.com/salmon-rillettes/