Salmon Rillettes

By Martha Rose Shulman

Salmon Rillettes
Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times
Total Time
20 to 30 minutes
Rating
4(198)
Notes
Read community notes

A light but rich tasting spread made with fresh and smoked salmon. This is my adaptation of David Lebovitz’s adaptation of Susan Loomis’s salmon rillettes, a recipe that I have been wanting to make for years. A more buttery version is in Susan Loomis’s wonderful book “Cooking at Home on Rue Tatin,” and on David Lebovitz’s eponymous website. David uses a mixture of steamed fresh salmon and smoked salmon, and I have followed suit, changing the proportions slightly. I used much less butter – 1 tablespoon, and a tablespoon each of olive oil and crème fraîche, as well as some Greek yogurt, and I still came up with a mixture that I can call rillettes. You can serve the spread with sliced bread or crackers, spoon onto endive leaves, cucumber rounds or squares of red and green pepper, or use as a filling for miniature bell peppers. You can also substitute these salmon rillettes for the smoked trout rillettes in the recipe for “Lentils With Smoked Trout Rillettes” from earlier this week. As always, use a fork, not a food processor, to make this.

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Ingredients

Yield:1¾ cups, serving 8 generously
  • 16-ounce salmon fillet, bones removed
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper
  • 5ounces smoked salmon, cut into thin strips, then into ¼-inch pieces
  • 1tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 1tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 4tablespoons plain Greek yogurt
  • 1tablespoon crème fraîche (or omit and use 5 tablespoons yogurt)
  • 11-2 to 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 2tablespoons chopped chives
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (8 servings)

105 calories; 8 grams fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 3 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 1 gram carbohydrates; 0 grams dietary fiber; 0 grams sugars; 8 grams protein; 137 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Lightly oil a steamer basket. Season salmon with salt and pepper and place in steamer basket over 1 inch of boiling water. Cover and steam 5 to 8 minutes, depending on thickness of the salmon. It should be just cooked through and easy to flake apart, but moist. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

  2. Step 2

    Using a fork or a whisk, cream butter and olive oil together until mixture is smooth and emulsified.

  3. Step 3

    Flake salmon into a medium-size bowl and add smoked salmon. Using a fork, mash the two together until well combined and salmon has broken down like canned tuna. Add butter and olive oil, yogurt and crème fraîche and work together with a fork until well combined. Add lemon juice to taste and the chives, and mix together well. Add pepper and mix together. Chill for 1 to 2 hours. Allow to come to room temperature before serving.

  4. Step 4

    Either spoon onto endive leaves or other vegetables, or serve with toasted bread or crackers.

Tip
  • Advance preparation: The rillettes will keep for 2 days in the refrigerator and can be frozen.

Ratings

4 out of 5
198 user ratings
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Cooking Notes

CynthiaPDX

The perfect way to jazz up your appetizer offerings!
Every single guest asked for this recipe - simple but impressive that it is. It also keeps well for several days.

Marty

Just my opinion, but I think this is a waste of good smoked salmon. When you mix everything together, you get just a smoked fish spread; the lovely salmon flavor diminishes. I made a test "batch" of a few tablespoons, then opted just to serve the smoked salmon on its own. I put a tiny amount of the creme fraiche on endive, then topped it with chopped smoked salmon, capers, chives, and a few salmon roe. Tasted great! (I will eat the steamed salmon with some aioli.)

wow

Pretty easy for a rave appetizer! I used a big 12 oz chunk of smoked salmon, and about 4 oz of steamed frozen Alaskan sockeye. I think a bit of Un-smoked takes an edge off. Served it on cucumber slices for the crisp contrast, got raves. ( snuck a little aside for us).

Gaily Tucson

Tasty with what was available: dill, canned salmon, and scallion tops, all else as written.

EK

The recipe mentions that this can be frozen, but I'm skeptical that the texture will remain the same after thawing. Has anyone tried this? How did it turn out? Thanks!

Marty

Just my opinion, but I think this is a waste of good smoked salmon. When you mix everything together, you get just a smoked fish spread; the lovely salmon flavor diminishes. I made a test "batch" of a few tablespoons, then opted just to serve the smoked salmon on its own. I put a tiny amount of the creme fraiche on endive, then topped it with chopped smoked salmon, capers, chives, and a few salmon roe. Tasted great! (I will eat the steamed salmon with some aioli.)

CynthiaPDX

The perfect way to jazz up your appetizer offerings!
Every single guest asked for this recipe - simple but impressive that it is. It also keeps well for several days.

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