At Home with Kim Vallee

I noticed at tapas parties where everyone brings a finger food dish that many opt for store-bought antipasto, cheeses, terrines and pates with fine crackers. The reason is lack of time.

Having a busy schedule is no excuse for not cooking. The key is to rely on tasty but quick to make recipes. My recipe takes 2 minutes to make and requires no cooking skills.

I did last week a Smoked Salmon Mousse Dip that I served with bakery-made croutons. To save time, I bought croutons at a fine bakery. A bag of bakery croutons costs about the same as buying the baguettes. And you can get several bread types in a single bag. My smoked salmon mousse was a hit with the party guests.

The Birth of a Recipe

I took the base for my recipe in a trusted cookbook in Quebec, A la di Stasio. About 7 millions live in Quebec and she sold 500,000 copies of the French copy. Hopefully for you, the English version was released this September. Josee di Stasio is known for her comfort food philosophy.

I adapted the quantities and the seasoning to suit my taste. I put less prepared horseradish, more lemon zest and juice plus I add a French shallot. I only put a small amount of pepper to preserve the color of the mousse.

Kim’s Smoked Salmon Mousse Recipe

Adapted from A la di Stasio by Josee di Stasio

Ingredients to feed 12 people during the cocktail hour:

• 360g (13 ounces) smoked Atlantic salmon – I cut the slices in half while they rest in the packages
• 2 teaspoons prepared horseradish – I bought the Kühne brand
• Zest of one lemon, finely grated
• Juice of one lemon
• 150 ml (5 ounces) 35% cooking crème – must use 35%
• 1 tablespoon chives, finely chopped
• 1 French shallot, finely chopped
• Freshly ground pepper

I bought my smoked salmon at La Vieille Europe. It is crucial to buy a top-quality smoked salmon. For a mousse, Atlantic salmon taste the best.

Instructions:

1. Put the salmon, horseradish, zest and lemon juice, French shallot in the food processor bowl. Roughly chop with pulse.
2. Add the crème slowly by pouring a little bit at a time until you get the texture of a spread. Still use the pulse button.
3. Transfer the mousse in a bowl. Mix the chopped chives and add freshly ground pepper to taste.

How to Serve?

< 1 minute option: I serve it with croutons made of different types of bread from Première Moisson. A quick set up is to place the croutons in a bread bowl and let the guests simply dip into the mousse.

2 minutes option: If you can afford a few more minutes in preparation, do the dishing. You can put the mousse on the croutons and finish it with a 1-inch chive piece.

5-minute option: For a fresher taste, replace the croutons with Belgian endives and cucumber slices. Top it with trout or salmon eggs and fresh dills. If you use cucumbers, lightly dig into the center with a spoon. It helps the mousse stay in place and removes some of the excess water.

Serve the smoked salmon mousse appetizers with a glass of wine or Brut Champagne. Your guests will be in delight.

If you are looking for more ideas of easy entertaining, read my 15-minute Party Plan.

SOURCING:
+ A la di Stasio by Josee di Stasio – $19.76 CAD at Indigo.ca
+ image of mousse on endive from Les Cinq Sens

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