Smoked Salmon Mousse with Pickle and Melba Toast

This smoked salmon mousse is a quick, easy and impressive starter to serve at a dinner party or for friends and and family over the festive season.

Ingredients

For the mousse:
  • 400g smoked salmon
  • 100g cream cheese
  • 100ml double cream
  • 1 lemon, juice only
  • Freshly ground black pepper
For the pickle:
  • 50ml white wine vinegar
  • 25g caster sugar
  • 12 baby cucumbers, sliced lengthways
  • 1 teaspoon salt
For the melba toast:
  • 4 slices white bread
To garnish:
  • 1 bunch watercress

Method

Pour the vinegar into a pan with the sugar and salt. Place on a low heat and warm through until the sugar dissolves. Add the sliced cucumber and remove from the heat.

To make the mousse, put the salmon in the food processor with the cream cheese, cream, lemon juice and black pepper. Blitz for 20-30 seconds so that all the ingredients are combined.

To make the melba toast, put the bread onto a baking tray, toast under a hot grill on both sides. Remove the crusts and the slice through the bread horizontally. Rub the underside on the board to remove any excess crumbs, cut each piece into two triangles put back on the tray with the untoasted side facing upwards. Toast until golden.

To serve: put a quenelle of mousse, a spoonful of pickle and slices of melba toast on a plate.

Garnish with watercress.

Ingredients

For the mousse:
  • 400g smoked salmon
  • 100g cream cheese
  • 100ml double cream
  • 1 lemon, juice only
  • Freshly ground black pepper
For the pickle:
  • 50ml white wine vinegar
  • 25g caster sugar
  • 12 baby cucumbers, sliced lengthways
  • 1 teaspoon salt
For the melba toast:
  • 4 slices white bread
To garnish:
  • 1 bunch watercress

Method

Pour the vinegar into a pan with the sugar and salt. Place on a low heat and warm through until the sugar dissolves. Add the sliced cucumber and remove from the heat.

To make the mousse, put the salmon in the food processor with the cream cheese, cream, lemon juice and black pepper. Blitz for 20-30 seconds so that all the ingredients are combined.

To make the melba toast, put the bread onto a baking tray, toast under a hot grill on both sides. Remove the crusts and the slice through the bread horizontally. Rub the underside on the board to remove any excess crumbs, cut each piece into two triangles put back on the tray with the untoasted side facing upwards. Toast until golden.

To serve: put a quenelle of mousse, a spoonful of pickle and slices of melba toast on a plate.

Garnish with watercress.