Fresh Salmon & Caper Rillettes .... A Recipe to Impress

Rillettes refers to a dish prepared similar to pate, but the meat or fish is flaked/shredded rather than minced, so it keeps it's integrity.
This is a wonderful spread for either toasted breads or crackers, and packaged in small pots makes a great gift.

This recipe serves 4

3 cups water

1/2cup white wine
1/4 cup lemon juice or wine vinegar
1tbsp black peppercorns
2 sticks celery chopped
1 medium carrot sliced
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 bay leaves
1/2 cup chopped parsley stalks
Bring to boil in a skillet or wide saucepan, and simmer for 3 mins.
bring back to boil and add

1 pound salmon either 2 inch steaks or fillets 3 inches wide
immediately tightly cover, remove from heat and leave  for 30 mins.

Remove salmon from cooking liquid (discard the liquid)
 and gently remove  the skin and any bones, and flake the fish, with fork in a bowl.



Add:
2tsp lemon zest  (zest the lemon first then use the juice for the cooking liquor)
1tbsp rinsed, drained and chopped capers
2 ozs softened butter
1 tbsp minced parsley (I  love parsley in this dish as it makes it taste so much fresher and '"alive")

Either divide the rillettes into 4 x 1/2 cup pots or one canning jar
Seal each pot  with clarified butter  ( approx 1 stick - 4 ozs)
Store in fridge until use.

Variations:
you may add fresh dill to the rillettes when flaking, or even to the clarified butter, when sealing the pot.
In place of capers use green or pink peppercorns, with the brine rinsed off them and also finely chopped