Classic French Salmon Rillettes
Made with both poached as well as smoked salmon, these salmon rillettes are an easy-to-make yet elegant spread, with big flavor! They deliver a chunky texture with a rich smoky taste from the salmon, smoothness from crème fraiche and fresh citrusy notes from lemon, dill and pink peppercorns. Serve them at your next dinner party with bread and crackers! What are rillettes, exactly? Similar to a pâté, French rillettes consist of meat pieces (usually pork or duck) slowly cooked in their own fat to turn utterly melty. The meat is…
- Prep time
- 20 min
- Cook time
- 10 min
- Yield
- 6 servings
- Difficulty
- EASY
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 4 cups (950ml) low sodium vegetable stock
- 1 bay leaf
- 3 cloves
- 0.9lbs (400g) boneless, skinless salmon fillets (about 2 fillets)
- 1/3 cup (100g) crème fraiche (35-40%MF)
- 1/2 cup (125g) Greek yogurt (or skyr or quark)½ lemon, juiced
- ¼ tsp lemon zest
- 4 tbsp chopped dill (+ a few extra leaves for garnish)¼ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tsp pink peppercorn (+ a few extra for garnish)
- 0.45lbs (200g) smoked salmon, finely diced
Instructions
- 1
Step 1 – In a pot or medium saucepan, bring stock, bay leaf and cloves to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, add the salmon fillets and gently poach for 10 minutes. Using a spatula or slotted spoon, transfer the salmon to a paper-towel lined plate to drain. Let cool completely to room temperature.
- 2
Note: You can use the remaining poaching stock to cook pasta, rice or use it as a base to make fish soup.
- 3
Step 2 - Place the poached salmon into a mixing bowl and shred it with a fork. Add the crème fraiche, Greek yogurt, lemon juice, lemon zest, dill, salt, black pepper, pink pepper and diced smoked salmon. Mix until combined. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
- 4
Transfer into a serving bowl, cover with a plastic film and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
- 5
Step 3 – Let cool to room temperature before serving. For serving, garnish with extra dill and pink peppercorns. Serve with crackers, bread sticks or fresh crusty bread.