This is great for a New Year’s Eve party: smoked salmon and salmon poached in white wine with peppercorn and shallots served with toast triangles so your guests can serve themselves.
Prep time: 20 minutes/Cook time: 15 minutes/Serves: 8
Ingredients:
500ml (2 cups) dry white wine
1 shallot, finely chopped
4 black peppercorns
500g (1 lb) boneless, skinless, salmon fillets, cut into 3cm (1 ½ in) pieces
80ml (1/3 cup) crème fraiche
2 tbsp mayonnaise
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp finely-grated lemon zest
2 tbsp lemon juice
Sea salt salt
225g (8 oz) smoked salmon, chopped
3 tbsp chives, chopped
Crackers and pumpernickel or rye bread toasts, to accompany
Method:
Combine the wine, shallot and peppercorns in a medium-sized pan. Place over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Continue cooking for about 5-6 minutes, until the shallots are tender. Now add the fresh salmon pieces, return to a simmer and cook for about 3 minutes, or until the salmon is nearly opaque all the way through. Take off the heat and immediately transfer the fish out onto a plate lined with paper towels.
Strain the liquid through a fine-meshed sieve. Reserve the shallots but discard the peppercorns. Place the salmon and shallots in the refrigerator and chill until cool.
In the meantime, whisk together the crème fraiche, mayonnaise, mustard, lemon zest, lemon juice, reserved poaching liquid and ½ tsp salt in a medium bowl. Gently fold in the cooled poached salmon, shallots and the smoked salmon pieces. Finally mix in the chives.
Serve the dip with crackers and pumpernickel or rye bread toasts.
