A HOLIDAY RECIPE with DANIELLE ALVAREZ
The key to this recipe is the hot-smoked trout. While most rillettes are made using meat confit (slowly cooked in its own fat), here we rely on the combination of fatty trout and its long, hot smoking to provide a similar malleable texture. Cold-smoked fish is essentially cured (think smoked salmon), meaning it retains a firm, somewhat bouncy texture that won't flake apart, nor play nice with the other ingredients. Serve with croutons or lavosh, on lettuce cups or even with fresh radishes to dip into the rillettes.
Makes: 1.5 cups, enough to
serve 6-8 for aperitivo snacks
Active time: 20 minutes
Inactive time: 10 minutes
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 baguette
250 g (9 oz) hot-smoked trout
2 tablespoons chopped dill
1 tablespoon chopped chives, plus extra to garnish
½ teaspoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon lemon juice
150 g (5½ oz) crème fraîche
Fine sea salt
Freshly cracked black pepper
To serve:
½ cup (60 g) cornichons
(about 12 cornichons) or
other pickles
Preheat your oven to 175°C (345°F).
For the croutons, drizzle a large baking tray with half the olive oil. Slice your baguette into thin slices, about 5 mm (¼ inch) thick, and lay them on the tray in a single layer (you may need two trays). Drizzle the baguette slices with the remaining olive oil and bake for 6-10 minutes, or until they are golden and crunchy, but not completely crisp (rotate the trays halfway through baking if using two trays). Once cool, these croutons will keep in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
To make the rillettes, combine all the remaining ingredients, except for the salt and pepper, in a bowl and stir to combine. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
Spoon the rillettes into a nice dish, garnish with the extra chives and finish with a crack of pepper. Serve with the croutons and cornichons.
The key to this recipe is the hot-smoked trout. While most rillettes are made using meat confit (slowly cooked in its own fat), here we rely on the combination of fatty trout and its long, hot smoking to provide a similar malleable texture. Cold-smoked fish is essentially cured (think smoked salmon), meaning it retains a firm, somewhat bouncy texture that won't flake apart, nor play nice with the other ingredients. Serve with croutons or lavosh, on lettuce cups or even with fresh radishes to dip into the rillettes.
Makes: 1.5 cups, enough to
serve 6-8 for aperitivo snacks
Active time: 20 minutes
Inactive time: 10 minutes
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 baguette
250 g (9 oz) hot-smoked trout
2 tablespoons chopped dill
1 tablespoon chopped chives, plus extra to garnish
½ teaspoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon lemon juice
150 g (5½ oz) crème fraîche
Fine sea salt
Freshly cracked black pepper
To serve:
½ cup (60 g) cornichons
(about 12 cornichons) or
other pickles
Preheat your oven to 175°C (345°F).
For the croutons, drizzle a large baking tray with half the olive oil. Slice your baguette into thin slices, about 5 mm (¼ inch) thick, and lay them on the tray in a single layer (you may need two trays). Drizzle the baguette slices with the remaining olive oil and bake for 6-10 minutes, or until they are golden and crunchy, but not completely crisp (rotate the trays halfway through baking if using two trays). Once cool, these croutons will keep in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
To make the rillettes, combine all the remaining ingredients, except for the salt and pepper, in a bowl and stir to combine. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
Spoon the rillettes into a nice dish, garnish with the extra chives and finish with a crack of pepper. Serve with the croutons and cornichons.