Our neighbor,  Mme Parret, makes the best duck rillettes.  Even the best traiteur here in Sens can not compete with her.   Rillettes is a type of pate made with slow cooked, shredded meat and fat.  You can also make rillettes with rabbit and goose; our son swears by the goose rillettes.

Today I made a type of rillettes using poached salmon, smoked salmon, spices, fresh peppers, citrus and butter.  The peppers I used were not jalapenos but they worked.

Looks Caribbean, doesn’t it?   This picture is for you Haitian lurkers out there!

Salmon Rillettes

1/2 lb fresh salmon, cut into cubes

1/2 lb smoked salmon, chopped

1 large lemon ( prepare a 3 inch strip of peel, 1 1/4 tsp of grated peel, 5 tsp of lemon juice)

1/2 cup white wine

1/2 cup water

5 white peppercorns

1 jalapeno pepper ( prepare a 1 inch strip of pepper and 1 1/2 tsp of chopped pepper)

5 coriander seeds

1 bay leaf

1/2 tsp salt

2 green onions, green and white parts finely chopped separately

5 tbsp butter, room temperature

1/4 tsp cracked pink peppercorns

Put the 3 inch piece of lemon peel,  the  1 inch strip of jalapeno, wine, water, peppercorns, coriander seeds, bay leaf, salt and green onion tops in a sauce pan.  Bring to a boil and allow to simmer for 5 minutes.   Poach the fresh salmon cubes in the pan for 1 minute, drain and mash with a fork.   Add the smoke salmon, the 1 1/4 tsp of grated lemon peel, the 1 1/4 tsp of chopped jalapeno and the chopped white parts of the green onion.   Add the butter and blend, then stir in 5 tsp of lemon juice and the cracked pink peppercorns.  Garnish with green onion tops and chopped pepper.

Wine suggestion:   Cremant de Bourgogne