Salmon Rillettes (French spread recipe)  (2024)

FAQs

What is salmon rillettes made of? ›

Hot-smoked salmon is mixed with fresh salmon poached in wine and aromatics to give this rich appetizer spread a remarkable depth of flavor. While training at the Los Angeles Culinary Institute, Anna Zepaltas learned that French cooking doesn't have to be intimidating or fussy.

Process cream cheese in a food processor to soften completely. Add smoked salmon, capers, green onion, dill, cream, Worcestershire sauce, hot pepper sauce, and lemon juice. Process the mixture again until creamy and smooth.

Close lids and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to a week before serving. Serve lightly chilled with bread or crackers and cornichons, whole grain mustard, and fruit preserves. Rillettes can also be frozen directly in their jars and held for several months. Defrost in the refrigerator overnight before serving.

The French word rillettes is first evidenced in 1845. It derives from the Old French rille, meaning a slice of pork, which is first attested in 1480. This is a dialect variation of the Old French reille, meaning a lath or strip of wood, from the Latin regula.

: cooked shredded meat (such as pork or duck) or fish preserved in fat.

Ingredients. Minced Salmon (Fish) (67%), Water, Rusk (Wheat Flour, Water, Salt, Raising Agent (E503), Soya Protein Concentrate, Minced Cod (Fish) (3%), Barley Malt Vinegar, Potato Starch, Concentrated Tomato Paste, Salt, Concentrated Lemon Juice, Sugar, Yeast Extract, Colour (Paprika Extract).

It's called albumin. And it lives in your salmon whether it's cooked or not, no matter where it's from, how it's raised, or how much you paid for it. Albumin is a liquid protein that solidifies when the fish is cooked, seeping out as the muscle fibers contract under heat, becoming thick and a bright white.

Gizzard Rillettes are a great source of protein. (Along with a host of vitamins and minerals, and cholesterol to boot.) Plus, a slow and low braise gives plenty of time to break down this tough organ into the tender goodness it should be.

How long do rillettes last in the fridge? ›

Refrigerate two to three days before serving. The rillettes will keep four or five days. To keep the dish longer, up to about three weeks, melt a layer of pure pork fat (fatback) or lard to cover and seal the surface of the rillettes completely. Keep refrigerated.

While rillette has a chunky texture, pâtés have a smoother texture. Another difference is in the type of meat that is found in rillettes and pâtés. Pâtés are made from meat such as liver, while rillette is made from chunks of meat harvested from a leg, breast, rib, or thigh.

If you're hoping to serve rillettes right after cooking the meat, make sure to budget at least two hours for the rillettes to set in the fridge before serving. Rillettes will last in the fridge for up to a month, or pop them in the freezer to store them for up to six months (defrost them in the refrigerator overnight).

Pâté is a combination of ground and minced meat (or fish such as mackerel or salmon) that takes on the consistency of a paste. Rillettes are similar but are coarser in texture, and both are usually served as a cold hors d'oeuvre spread on toast or bread.

Rillette, also known as potted meat, is a classic Mediterranean cuisine that includes slowly cooked meat, flavored with mild herbs and seasoning. Rillettes are also a preservation method that involves cubing, seasoning, and slowly cooking meat in fat, for an extended period, usually around 5-10 hours.

Both methods consist of meat that is slow-cooked in its own fat (typically pork, though other varieties are also given this treatment on occasion) and then sealed under a layer of the fat to prevent spoilage. Rillettes are similar to pâté, in that they have a more even consistency than rillons do.