Around My French Table by Dorie Greenspan Read Free Book Online Page A

surface. Chill for at least 2 hours, or for as long as overnight.
     
    MAKES 1 CUP OR ABOUT 6 SERVINGS
     
    SERVING
Offer the rillettes in a bowl surrounded by toasted country bread, crackers, or Pringles, if you dare, or use it as a stuffing for cherry tomatoes, hard-boiled eggs, or piquillo or Peppadew peppers.
     
    STORING
Wrapped airtight, the rillettes will keep for up to 2 days; stir well before serving.
     
    BONNE IDÉE
At the avant-garde Parisian bistro Itinéraires, sardine rillettes is served in a martini glass topped with a baby scoop of cornichon sorbet. Pairing the creamy, smooth rillettes with vinegary pickles is both surprising and exciting, and while cornichon sorbet is not very practical at home, adding just a few thin slices of cornichons to the mixture is. In the same spirit, a spoonful or two of capers is an equally lively addition.

Salmon Rillettes
    T HIS SPREAD IS AS HAPPY sharing a table with the fixings for an American brunch as it is on the buffet of a chic Parisian cocktail party. A mix of quickly poached fresh salmon and bits of smoked salmon, mashed with a fork and seasoned with a little hot pepper and a lot of lemon juice, it can be served pressed into a canning jar (the way you'd serve the most traditional pork rillettes), with a knife and hunks of bread, or spooned onto toast points or blini. Either way, I'd suggest you make more than you think you'll need. While you can certainly cut this recipe in half, do that, and you'll regret it the following day—when, if you're like me, you'll crave the rillettes as a snack.
    BE PREPARED: The rillettes must be refrigerated for at least 2 hours so it firms up.
1
lemon
1
small red chile pepper
½
cup dry white wine or white vermouth
½
cup water
1
bay leaf
5
white peppercorns
5
coriander seeds
2
small spring onions, trimmed and finely chopped, long green tops reserved, or 1 shallot, finely chopped, rinsed, and patted dry
Salt
½
pound salmon fillet, cut into small (about ½-inch) cubes
4-6
ounces smoked salmon, cut into small (about ¼-inch) dice
Freshly ground white pepper
3
tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
About ¼ teaspoon pink peppercorns, crushed
Bread, crackers, or toast, for serving
    Using a vegetable peeler, remove a strip of zest from the lemon and toss it into a medium saucepan. Finely grate the rest of the zest, and set it and the lemon aside. With a small knife, cut away a sliver of the chile pepper; discard the seeds, and toss the sliver into the saucepan. Seed and finely chop the remainder of the chile pepper.
    Pour the wine or vermouth and the water into the pan, add the bay leaf, white peppercorns, coriander, onion tops if you're using spring onions, and ½ teaspoon salt, and bring to a boil over medium heat. Lower the heat, cover, and simmer gently for 5 minutes.
    Drop the cubes of fresh salmon into the pan, cover, and poach for just 1 minute. Turn everything into a strainer, drain, and transfer the cubes of salmon to a bowl. Discard herbs, spices, and vegetables.
    With the back of a fork, lightly mash the poached salmon. Toss the smoked salmon, grated lemon zest, chile pepper, and chopped onions or shallot into the bowl, season with salt and white pepper, and give everything a good stir. Add the butter and use the fork to stir and mash it into the mixture until it's well incorporated and you have a thick spread. Squeeze about half of the lemon's juice into the bowl, stir it in, and season the rillettes again with salt and white pepper. Taste and add more lemon juice (it's nice when it's lemony) if you'd like, then stir in the pink peppercorns.
    Pack the rillettes into a jar (a canning jar is traditional) or bowl, press a piece of plastic wrap against the surface, and chill for at least 2 hours—you want it to be firm.
    Serve the rillettes with bread, crackers, or toast.
     
    MAKES ABOUT 2 CUPS OR 8 SERVINGS
     
    SERVING
Rillettes is served as a spread, so have lots of bread, crackers, or toast available. If you'd