The delicacy of confit salmon is a glorious thing. I have used duck fat but you can use olive oil if you prefer. The dish is delicious on it’s own but Daniel Humm’s Fine Herb Bavarois takes this starter to another level. Serve with toasted slices of your favourite bread.
This recipe also works well as a “substantial” canapé. Make up a batch of salmon and spread on toasted sour dough. This recipe will make enough for 16 canapés.
480g Salmon, skinned and pin boned
10g salt
1 lemon, zested and cut into slices
duck fat or olive oil – enough to cover the salmon
1 tbsp mayonnaise
3 tbsp creme fraiché
1/2 banana shallot, very finely diced
2 tbsp dill fronds, finely chopped
2 tbsp tarragon leaves, finely chopped
2 tbsp chives, finely sliced
1 tbsp lemon juice
Fine herb bavarois
50g spinach leaves
50g chives, coarsley chopped
40g parsley leaves
15g tarragon leaves
3 sheets gelatine (approx 6g)
150ml double cream
2 egg yolks
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp lemon juice
45ml water
Mix the salt and lemon zest with a few grinds of black pepper and spread all over the salmon fillet. Set aside for 30 minutes. Rinse off the salt, pat dry and slice into 4 equal pieces.
If using duck fat, melt it gently at a low temperature. In a pan that will fit the salmon snuggly, place the slices of lemon on the bottom, this stops the salmon coming into contact with direct heat on the bottom of the pan. Place the salmon on the lemon slices, cover with duck fat or olive oil. On a very low light heat to 42C and maintain that temperature for up to 20 minutes. The salmon should be tender and flakey. Lift out the salmon and drain on kitchen paper to remove any excess oil or fat. If you plan on making this dish again, you can save the oil or fat to use again.
Flake the salmon into a bowl and leave to cool. Fold in the mayonnaise, creme fraiché, shallot, dill, tarragon, chives, lemon zest and season to taste. Keep in an airtight container in the fridge until ready to serve.
Fine Herb Bavarois
Have a bowl with ice water at the ready. Bring a small pan of salted water to the boil. Blanch the spinach and herbs for about 5 minutes until they are completely tender – when you rub the leaves between your fingers they should fall apart. Remove with a slotted spoon and immediately plunge into the iced water. Once cold, remove and squeeze out the excess water. Place all the greens in a blender with a splash of iced water and blend on high speed until completely smooth. Pass through a fine mesh sieve and store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 24 hours.
Soak the gelatine leaves in cold water for 10 minutes. In a stand mixer with the whisk attachment whip the cream to medium peaks. Set aside and keep cold. Using a hand whisk, whisk the egg yolks, the herb puree, lemon juice and salt in a separate bowl until fully incorporated.
Heat the water in a small saucepan over a low heat, squeeze excess water from the gelatin and add to the warmed water off the heat. Add this to the herb and egg mixture and whisk briefly.
Fold the whipped cream into the herb mixture a third at a time. Once fully incorporated, put into a container, cover the top with baking parchment to prevent a skin forming and leave to set in the fridge for 3 hours
To serve
Divide the salmon between 4 soufflé style dishes or small kilner jars, top each with a quenelle of the fine herb bavarois. Garnish each jar with some dill fronds. Serve with slices of your favourite toasted bread and the extra bavarois on the side for everyone to enjoy.
Salmon rillettes with fine herb bavarois
Equipment
Ingredients
- 480 g salmon fillet skinned, pin boned
- 10 g sea salt
- 1 lemon zested and then sliced
- duck fat or olive oil - enough to cover the salmon
- 1 tbsp mayonnaise
- 3 tbsp creme fraiche
- 1/2 banana shallot very finely chopped
- 2 tsp dill fronds finely chopped
- 2 tbsp tarragon leaves finely chopped
- 2 tbsp chives finely sliced
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
Fine Herb Bavarois
- 50 g spinach leaves
- 50 g chives coarsely chopped
- 40 g parsley leaves
- 15 g tarragon leaves
- 3 sheets gelatin (6g)
- 150 g double cream
- 2 egg yolks
- 10 g lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp fine salt
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 45 ml water
Instructions
- Mix the salt and lemon zest with a few grinds of black pepper and spread all over the salmon fillet. Set aside for 30 minutes. Rinse off the salt, pat dry and slice into 4 equal pieces.
- If using duck fat, melt it gently at a low temperature. In a pan that will fit the salmon snuggly, place the slices of lemon on the bottom, this stops the salmon coming into contact with direct heat on the bottom of the pan. Place the salmon on the lemon slices, cover with duck fat or olive oil. On a very low light heat to 42C and maintain that temperature for up to 20 minutes. The salmon should be tender and flakey. Lift out the salmon and drain on kitchen paper to remove any excess oil or fat. If you plan on making this dish again, you can save the oil or fat to use again.
- Flake the salmon into a bowl and leave to cool. Fold in the mayonnaise, creme fraiché, shallot, dill, tarragon, chives, lemon zest and season to taste. Keep in an airtight container in the fridge until ready to serve.
Fine herb bavarois
- Have a bowl with ice water at the ready. Bring a small pan of salted water to the boil. Blanch the spinach and herbs for about 5 minutes until they are completely tender - when you rub the leaves between your fingers they should fall apart. Remove with a slotted spoon and immediately plunge into the iced water. Once cold, remove and squeeze out the excess water. Place all the greens in a blender with a splash of iced water and blend on high speed until completely smooth. Pass through a fine mesh sieve and store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 24 hours.
- Soak the gelatine leaves in cold water for 10 minutes. In a stand mixer with the whisk attachment whip the cream to medium peaks. Set aside and keep cold. Using a hand whisk, whisk the egg yolks, the herb puree, lemon juice and salt in a separate bowl until fully incorporated.
- Heat the water in a small saucepan over a low heat, squeeze excess water from the gelatin and add to the warmed water off the heat. Add this to the herb and egg mixture and whisk briefly.
- Fold the whipped cream into the herb mixture a third at a time. Once fully incorporated, put into a container, cover the top with baking parchment to prevent a skin forming and leave to set in the fridge for 3 hours
To serve
- Divide the salmon between 4 soufflé style dishes or small kilner jars, top each with a quenelle of the fine herb bavarois. Garnish each jar with some dill fronds. Serve with slices of your favourite toasted bread and the extra bavarois on the side for everyone to enjoy.
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