An easy and elegant classic French hors d’oeuvre – salmon rillettes is the perfect start to any meal and are sure to impress your guests!
Salmon rillettes is one of my go-to appetizers when I want to make something that is sure to impress but I don’t want to fuss. Most recipes for salmon rillettes use a combination of fresh and smoked salmon. I like to stick with just fresh salmon. While I love smoked salmon, fresh salmon appetizers are a bit of a rarity and I love the clean and fresh flavour. This classic French hors d’oeuvre is perfect paired with an aperitif at your next dinner party!
What is Rillettes?
Rillettes is a traditional French preservation technique for shredded meat. Similar to confit, the meat is cooked slowly in fat until very tender. Unlike confit, however, the cooked meat is then finely shredded and mixed with the cooking fat to make a rough paste. Traditionally rillettes are made with meat such as pork, duck, chicken or rabbit, although fish is sometimes used. This Salmon rillettes doesn’t follow that traditional cooking method, but it does have the same characteristics: flaked salmon mixed with fat and well seasoned. For the fat, I like a combination of butter and mayonnaise.
Ingredient Notes
Salmon: The easiest type to use is boneless salmon fillet. To cook the salmon, I like to poach it. You could also pan fry or bake the salmon if you prefer. This would also be the perfect time to use leftover cooked salmon. If you want to add smoked salmon to this recipe then I would suggest lowering the fresh salmon to around 6 oz and add about 2 oz of finely chopped smoked salmon.
Butter: You can use salted or unsalted butter. I typically just use salted butter in a recipe like this. If you use unsalted you may want to taste and adjust the salt in the recipe.
Mayonnaise: Any standard mayo will work here. I find adding a bit of mayo to the recipe helps to soften the mixture. I’ve made it with all butter before but found the texture to be a bit drier and crumblier. The mayo adds a nice creamy richness to the overall texture.
Shallots: It’s worth getting a small shallot for this recipe. That oniony bite cuts the richness of this dish, and shallots are perfect for getting that bite while being more mellow than a yellow or white onion. In a pinch you could add some minced red onion instead of the shallot.
Chives: Try to get fresh chives, they add some much-needed brightness of flavor.
Lemons: A fresh lemon is also a must for adding a punch of bright citrusy flavor to cut through all the richness of the salmon and butter.
Recipe Notes for Salmon Rillettes
First, you will need to cook the salmon. I prefer to poach the salmon. Fill a small saucepan with about 2 inches of water and add a generous pinch of salt. Bring to a simmer over high heat. Add the salmon fillet and turn the heat down to keep it at a simmer. Cook for 5 to 8 minutes or just until the salmon is cooked through. When fully cooked, remove the salmon with a slotted spoon to drain.
Set the cooked salmon aside to cool and then prep your other ingredients. Finely mince the shallot and chives. Juice the lemon.
In a mixing bowl flake the salmon with a fork. Add the softened butter, mayonnaise, shallots, chive, lemon juice, and some pepper. Mix together well with a spatula and then taste for seasoning. Add a pinch of kosher salt if needed.
Transfer the rillettes to a serving bowl or jar. If you are serving it later, then store it covered in the fridge. If you are serving it within an hour or so it can be left out, but it should be returned to the fridge after 2 hours for safety. Serve the salmon rillettes with sliced baguette and enjoy!
Pairing & Serving Suggestions
Salmon rillettes is best served somewhere between room temp and fridge temp. The high butter content means that it will harden in the fridge. If you are serving it later, then remove it from the fridge about an hour before serving to take the chill off. Alternatively, I have microwaved it in a pinch: short bursts on medium power while stirring in between just until it’s softened – being careful not to melt the butter.
Serve the rillettes with baguette slices or crackers.
For a wine pairing I actually think there are a lot of great options to go with this French hors d’oeuvre:
- With all that buttery richness you can’t go wrong with a Chardonnay
- If you prefer a lighter wine, then something like a Chenin Blanc or even a Riesling
- And of course, this dish makes the perfect accompaniment for an aperitif such as sparkling wine, like 8th Generation Integrity, or a cocktail.
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More Delicious Appetizers
For more appetizer ideas, here are some of my favourites:
