The Fish Spread
I went to visit my friend Emily and while our dogs played together in the backyard, she made me lunch from a single extra portion of fish. She mashed it up and added some shallot, an ample squeeze of lime juice, and maybe a whisper of mayonnaise. She pulled open a package of crackers and we chatted and spread the delicious mixture saltine by saltine. It was so good, and reminded me that the salmon rillettes you can get with a baguette at a swanky bistro is really basically the same thing, just with a little butter. Feel free to serve on saltines.
Extra ingredient: cooked salmon
Time: 40 minutes (10 minutes active)
Makes 6 to 8 hors d’oeuvre servings (1 cup)
4 tablespoons (½ stick) butter, at room temperature
1 tablespoon finely minced shallot
1 large anchovy fillet, finely chopped
6 ounces cooked salmon, skin and bones removed
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice, plus more to taste
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons finely chopped chives
Fine sea salt, Aleppo pepper, and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Fennel fronds, for garnish, optional
Thinly sliced baguette or saltines, to serve
1. Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the shallot and anchovy and cook, stirring frequently, until the shallot is tender and a little browned and the anchovy has dissolved into the mixture, about 2 minutes.
2. In a large bowl, use a wooden spoon to break the salmon into flakes. Scrape the shallot mixture into the salmon and stir a bit. Add the remaining 3 tablespoons butter, the lemon juice, and the olive oil and stir well, smashing the mixture against the side of the bowl to form a smooth paste. Stir in the chives. Taste the mixture and adjust the seasoning to taste.
3. Place in ramekins or a small serving bowl and cover tightly, and chill for at least 30 minutes before serving.
4. Garnish with fennel fronds, if desired, and serve with thinly sliced baguette.
VARIATIONS
- Change the fish. Most any fish can be used to make a variation on these rillettes, but richer, tender fish such as black cod, mackerel, or albacore tuna are especially good.
- Make it Emily’s style. Skip the butter and the anchovy and mix in a couple spoonfuls of mayonnaise, plus the juice of 1 or 2 limes in place of the lemon juice.
- Make it a sandwich. You can split a baguette lengthwise, spread the bottom half with the rillettes, and top with a layer of finely shaved radishes or fennel bulb. Add the top half, cut the baguette into three or four pieces, and share with friends.