savoury delights

happy hour salmon in southern france

by beyond my kitchen
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Happy hour is on the agenda … what about some homemade salmon paté?

We are still in Southern France, in Carcassonne … Also in France there is a happy hour & sometimes we enjoy a leisurely happy hour in front of our current home, sitting in the spring sun & having a glass of wine.

I found this easy approach to salmon paté in Rachel Allen’s cookbook, worked then with the ingredients available at the moment in my kitchen … & we had a delicious happy hour snack! So for now I decided to do just the same once again – adjusting the recipe to what I had in my kitchen …

Simply it’s just some cooked salmon w/ some cream … & concerning equipment: just arm yourself w/ a solid fork.

Well – for the details: what do we need? (… referring to my original version!)

There are:

  • fresh salmon (unfreeze when coming out of the freezer)
  • fresh dill (for the sake of flavour: don’t use dried dill here!)
  • crème double
  • lemon juice
  • freshly ground nutmeg
  • salt & pepper.

Start w/ the dill & mince the fine leaves (discard the stems). Then dice the salmon & grate the nutmeg.

Unfortunately I didn’t found any fresh dill nor nutmeg resp. a nutmeg grater (in my kitchen). So for my version in Southern France I skipped the dill as well as the nutmeg. Instead I opted for freshly grounded pepper & added some minced spring onion. Also I substituted crème double for crème fraîche.

Let’s continue: fry the salmon for some minutes until done. There’s no need of any oil: the salmon has got enough fat. Be careful not to fry on big heat: the salmon shall be done, but not burnt.

Now start mashing:

  • Grab your fork & crush the cooked salmon.
  • Add crème double incl. the ground nutmeg & salt & pepper – & mash!
  • Add the lemon juice & mash!
  • Add chopped dill – & mash again!

So the salmon evolves from …

… finally to …

Voilà my basic approach to salmon paté!

Leave it in the fridge for 1-2 hours to set: mashing at room temperature will soften the paté …

Some information about the original version in the cookbook:

  • The original recipe uses 50% fresh salmon & 50% smoked salmon: feel free to test the difference in flavour!
  • The original recipe also uses 50% crème fraîche & 50% cream cheese instead of crème double – it’ll change the flavor somewhat … Important is that you won’t use any low-fat dairy products.
  • You may also use some garlic … just cut in half a clove of garlic & rub the bowl before starting the mashing act.

Enjoy!

Print Recipe
happy hour salmon in southern france
Prep Time20 minutes
Servings: 4
ingredients:
  • 150 gr fresh salmon (w/o bones & skin)
  • 3 tsp fresh dill (minced w/o stems=
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1/4 tsp nutmeg (freshly ground)
  • 100 gr crème double 42%
  • salt & pepper (to taste)
how to:
  • Dice the salmon & fry it softly in a pan for about 3-5 min until fully cooked.
  • Mash the salmon with a fork as fine as possible & let it cool.
  • Remove the stems of the dill & mince the fine dill feathers.
  • Grate the nutmeg.
  • Mix salmon mess & crème double (nutmeg, salt, pepper) with a fork.
  • Add dill.
  • Add lemon juice.
  • Add salt & pepper – to taste finally.
  • Mix to get a smooth paté.
  • Store in the fridge for about 1-2 hours before serving.
Notes
Prep Time: Frying the salmon is included, however, not defrosting if you use frozen salmon.
It’s a big happy hour snack for 2 people (2 hungry people!). It’s enough for 4 people … when they are anticipating a dinner afterwards.
Salmon: You don’t need any oil for frying – the salmon has got enough fat. If you use frozen salmon defrost on room temperature.
Lemon juice: Adjust the amount of lemon juice to your taste. Take more if you like it more lemony.
Storing in the fridge: The paté is rather soft after mixing. After a fridge session it’s set & firm (like a paté).

At last … some idea about happy hour in Carcassonne – however this isn’t limited to happy hour!