Salmon Rillettes

Truly inspiring. Just make sure the rest of the meal is as good as the appetizer.

8 ounce  piece of salmon, preferably wild, bones removed
salt
5 tablespoons  butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1½ tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons chopped chives
4 ounces smoked salmon, cut into thin strips, then cut into ½-inch  pieces
¼ teaspoon chili powder

Season the salmon on both sides lightly with a bit of salt. Put on a plate with a Tablespoon of water, cover with plastic wrap and microwave about 4 minutes, until it flakes easily.

In a medium-sized bowl, mash together with a fork the butter and the olive oil until very smooth; otherwise there’ll be big chunks of butter in the finished rillettes.

Stir in the lemon juice, then the chopped chives and smoked salmon.

Remove the skin from the salmon (if it has any) and flake the cooked salmon over the mixture, then fold the pieces of salmon into the rillette mixture along with the chili powder.

Season with salt, if necessary.

Scrape into a serving dish, cover, and chill for at least two hours. Let come to room temperature before serving.

Storage: The rillettes can be made up to two days before and refrigerated. They can also be frozen, well-wrapped, for up to two months.