A fun little spin on a classic appetiser. Whether you've had salmon mousse with bread, crackers or those wee little pancakes, this'll take you right back 😇
I don't think anyone has managed to escape the classic cracker, pancake or bread and salmon mousse with dill. Whether it was a cocktail party, your aunty's morning tea or Christmas- it's chased down everyone at some point. Even if salmon isn't your thing, I bet you've been curious.
I think one of the biggest struggles with a puree diet is the absence of bread and crackers because so much of the goodness that we get from eating them is the crunchiness and chewiness. When blending a puree bread, you don't want to feel like you're eating oats or just mush, you really want the grainy texture and taste to come through. The thrilling thing though is that there are some many different kinds of breads that you have such a variety to switch between- rye, white, wholemeal, pumpkin, olive... 🍞🌾🫒
Similarly, you could do the same with the fish- use a smoked trout, crab, tuna- whatever you're craving. Though, be mindful of the texture changes. You may have to play around with the amounts of lemon required to achieve a smooth puree consistency. Always refer back to your spoon and fork tests.
Just like we spoke about in the transitional foods post, because the salmon mousse contains cream cheese, the texture might change ever so slightly between coming out of the fridge and keeping its post front and centre on the table so keep an eye on this.
I must admit, it took me a few tries to get this one right to balance the dairy, the consistency and the flavours but now that that's done, it's actually a pretty easy process! Apart from the overnight dill drip, you can just about whack most things in a blender and be on your way- let the flavours do the hard work for you 💪🏼
Rye Bread, Salmon Mousse with Dill Emulsion
Serves 4
Ingredients
Dill Emulsion
25g dill leaves
100ml sunflower oil
1 egg yolk
20 ml lemon juice
Salt to taste
Rye Bread
100g stale bread, dried
300ml milk
⅔ cup water
salt to taste
Salmon Mousse
250g cream cheese
100g smoked salmon
2 tbsp lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste
Method
Dill Emulsion
Blanch the dill for approximately 3 minutes before plunging into ice water until cooled.
Squeeze and dry the dill.
Blend the dill with sunflower oil until a smooth green consistency is achieved.
Place in a hessian bag in a sieve and over a jug or container and allow to strain for a few hours or overnight.
After a few hours or the next day, whisk the egg yolk and lemon juice in a bowl until combined.
Add small amounts of dill oil in at a time while whisking until all the oil is added and the texture is smooth.
Add salt and pepper to the emulsion to taste.
Rye Bread
Make sure bread is totally dried out, otherwise place in the oven until dry and golden.
Place bread and milk in a saucepan on low until bread has fully absorbed the milk and is soft. Avoid boiling the milk, keep to a low flame.
Once milk has been absorbed, stir in the cream and allow to cool. Place in the fridge to achieve more quickly.
Once cool, blend the mixture until smooth, then whip until fluffy.
Salmon Mousse
Add all ingredients and blend until smooth.
If the mixture is too dry to combine, try stirring with a spoon and then blend again.
Otherwise, add ½ tablespoon extra of lemon juice blend until smooth.
Be cautious that the texture does not become too thin.
Plate up! Get spunky, get creative ✨
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