| Salmon Pâté with Orange |
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Oranges and other fruit complement salmon's natural sweetness and are commonly used in salmon entrees, but I've never seen them used in cold salmon dishes. I decided to try adding some orange flavor to salmon pâté and loved the results. Oranges add a very subtle refreshing touch to this rich dish.
Note: You can prepare this salmon pâté a day before serving. Tip: To make sure the butter is soft enough by the time you are ready to finish the pâté, remove it from the refrigerator before starting to poach salmon. |
| Serves 8 as an hors d'oeuvre |
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| Ingredients | Directions |
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2 oranges |
Zest the oranges and set zest aside. Cut oranges in half and juice them. |
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1 cup dry white wine 4-5 crumbled saffron threads (optional) |
Combine wine, juice of 2 oranges, and saffron in a medium frying pan set over high heat. Bring to a boil and turn down the heat so that the liquid simmers gently. |
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1 Lb salmon fillet salt and black pepper |
Season salmon generously with salt and pepper and place it in simmering liquid skin side down. Cover the skillet, and poach for 6-8 minutes regulating the heat so that the liquid simmers very gently. The salmon is done when you can separate the flakes almost to the center of the fillet, but they are still translucent in the middle. Remove salmon to a plate, and cool completely. |
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4 oz smoked salmon, finely chopped 1 shallot, finely minced 1 Tbsp capers, drained and chopped 2 Tbsp chopped dill and/or parsley 4 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened 2 Tbsp mayo 1 tsp Dijon mustard 1/2 tsp lemon juice black pepper to taste |
Remove the skin from poached salmon and dry the fillet with paper towels to remove the remainder of the poaching liquid. Break up the fillet into flakes. In a medium bowl, combine poached salmon, reserved orange zest, smoked salmon, shallot, capers, dill and/or parsley, butter, mayo, mustard, lemon juice, and black pepper. Mix with a fork until the butter is integrated and the mixture is fairly homogeneous, but small flakes of salmon still remain. Cover, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 24. Serve on slices of baguette or on crackers.
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