salmon rillettes

Ingredients:

½ lb salmon fillet, grilled or poached

1 shallot, minced

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/4 pound smoked salmon, cut into pieces

1 stick unsalted butter, cut into pieces and softened

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

¼ teaspoon salt

Pepper to taste

Directions:

Remove the skin from the grilled salmon, and then scrape off any dark flesh on the underside and discard. Flake the salmon and set aside.

Over medium-low heat sauté the chopped shallot in the olive oil until translucent, take care not to brown it. Remove from the heat and allow to cool to room temperature.

Place the chopped smoked salmon and the room-temperature butter in the bowl of a food processor, pulse to make a coarse paste.

 Add the flaked grilled salmon, sautéed shallot, lemon juice, grated nutmeg and ¼ teaspoon of salt. Pulse until incorporated. Check for seasoning.

 Spoon into a bowl, cover and chill for at least 2 hours.

Bring to room temperature before serving. Serve with slices of crusty French bread or artesian flat bread crackers.

 You can also spoon a tablespoon of rillettes into very thin pastry cups and top with salmon roe.

The rillettes will keep refrigerated tightly covered for several days.

 Makes approximately 2 cups