I’m going to be honest. I’ve been eating spoonfuls of this Smoked Salmon Pâté all afternoon. I think that’s the dangerous part about making an appetizer or dip – they are so addicting.
I found myself saying, “just one more bite” about a million times.
This Smoked Salmon Pâté is a great recipe to make ahead of time for parties or holiday get-togethers. I always try to overcomplicate my party menus, so it’s nice to have a dish like this in my arsenal.
For example, many of the dishes that I served for Thanksgiving dinner last year were completely new (even the turkey!). Everything was from scratch and most of dishes really couldn’t be prepped ahead of time. By the time dinner finally rolled around, we were so exhausted that it was hard to enjoy dinner.
Because of this, we took Christmas dinner to the other extreme and practically cooked everything in advance. Maybe this year I can find a happy medium.
I covered this pâté with a few slices of smoked salmon as I do with terrines. I think it makes this appetizer look a little more elegant.
To cover this pâté with sliced smoked salmon, place a sheet of plastic wrap into a ramekin or small bowl. Then, add a thin layer of smoked salmon to the ramekin, covering the bottom and the sides. After adding the salmon, fill the ramekin with the pâté, cover, and refrigerate until firm.
Just before serving, use the plastic wrap to pull the pâté out of the ramekin, flip, and place on a serving tray. Then, just top with a little sprig of dill.
I like to slice the pâté open with a sharp knife when serving to reveal the creamy interior.
You can easily adjust the strength of the smoked salmon flavor in this pâté to your liking. For a milder pâté, increase the amount of cream cheese. I sometimes add as much as double the amount of cream cheese listed below to adjust to my guests’ preferences. Just taste and add the cream cheese to the pâté prior to refrigerating to make sure that it can easily be incorporated.
Smoked Salmon Pâté
Ingredients
- 150 g smoked salmon
- ¼ cup sour cream
- 150 g cream cheese, softened
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- 2 tbsp butter, softened
- 1½ tbsp fresh dill, chopped
- pinch cayenne pepper (optional)
- salt and pepper, to taste
- additional smoked salmon and dill, for garnish
Instructions
- Add all of the ingredients to a food processor and pulse until combined. For a smoother pâté, continue to pulse until the desired consistency is reached.
- Season to taste, then stir with a rubber spatula to incorporate the seasonings.
- Transfer to a small bowl and refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.
- Serve cold with a side of crackers or chips.
