Lentils With Smoked Trout Rilletes Food

LENTILS WITH SMOKED TROUT RILLETES

Steps:

• In a medium size pot, combine lentils, water, onion, bay leaf, garlic and optional cayenne. Bring to a gentle boil over medium-high heat. Add salt, cover, reduce heat to low and simmer 30 to 40 minutes, until lentils are cooked through but still have some texture. They should not be mushy but they shouldn't be crunchy either. Taste and adjust salt. Add pepper. Using tongs, remove and discard onion and bay leaf.
• While lentils are simmering make rillettes. In a medium bowl, break up trout with your fingers or with a fork. In a small bowl, mix together olive oil and butter until well amalgamated. Mash trout with a fork, then work in olive oil and butter, and yogurt. Make sure to mash well and to distribute butter, olive oil and yogurt evenly through the mixture. Work in lemon juice and stir in minced chives and pepper. Refrigerate if not using right away. Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before serving.
• Spoon warm lentils onto plates or wide bowls. To form quenelles, dip a soup spoon into warm water and scoop up a spoonful of trout mixture. With another soup spoon, round the top of the mound, then ease off on top of the lentils. Repeat with another spoonful and serve.

SALMON RILLETTES

Steps:

• Lightly oil a steamer basket. Season salmon with salt and pepper and place in steamer basket over 1 inch of boiling water. Cover and steam 5 to 8 minutes, depending on thickness of the salmon. It should be just cooked through and easy to flake apart, but moist. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
• Using a fork or a whisk, cream butter and olive oil together until mixture is smooth and emulsified.
• Flake salmon into a medium-size bowl and add smoked salmon. Using a fork, mash the two together until well combined and salmon has broken down like canned tuna. Add butter and olive oil, yogurt and crème fraîche and work together with a fork until well combined. Add lemon juice to taste and the chives, and mix together well. Add pepper and mix together. Chill for 1 to 2 hours. Allow to come to room temperature before serving.
• Either spoon onto endive leaves or other vegetables, or serve with toasted bread or crackers.

SMOKED TROUT RILLETTES WITH RADISHES AND CELERY

Steps:

• Mix mascarpone, green onion, chopped dill, and 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice in small bowl. Add trout and stir gently to blend. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and more lemon juice, if desired. Transfer mixture to small serving bowl. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill. Let stand at room temperature 1 hour before serving.
• Place bowl with rillettes on platter; surround with crackers, bread slices, radishes, and celery stalks and serve.
• WHAT TO DRINK:
• An oak-aged white wine with grapefruit notes and toasty flavors, like the Rudd 2005 Sauvignon Blanc (Napa Valley, $35), plays well with the smoked trout and radishes.
• *An Italian cream cheese; sold at many supermarkets and at Italian markets.

SMOKED TROUT RILLETTES

Steps:

• Flake the trout into the container of a food processor, being very careful to remove any small bones, add the butter, and blend the mixture until it is smooth. Add the lemon juice, the pepper and salt to taste and blend the mixture until it is combined will. Transfer the mixture to a serving bowl or terrine, smooth the top, and chill the rillettes, covered, for at least 1 hour or overnight. Serve the rillettes with the crackers.