The start of our 4th of July Feast!

Jen brought this salmon rillette for our appetizer on the 4th - and it was amazing with a little rose and some cornichons.

6 tablespoons very soft butter

1 tablespoon olive oil

2-3 tablespoons lemon juice

2 teaspoons chopped chives

6 oz smoked salmon chopped into small bits

16 oz poached salmon

To poach salmon: s&p salmon and in a oven proof dish place the salmon and pour over juice of couple lemons and 1/2 cup white wine. Add water to about 1/2 the thickness of salmon. Put around dish some fresh thyme maybe a slice or two of onion and fennel if you have it. Bake in 350 degree oven until it is cooked through - I'm guessing about 20-25 min, depending on the thickness. Just flake a little into the middle to see if it's opaque. Let cool. Mix the butter and oil with a fork until very smooth. Stir in lemon juice, chives and smoked salmon. Remove skin from poached salmon and flake into mixture, season with s&p to taste and blend thoroughly. Chill for at least 2 hours and up to 2 days (can even be frozen for 2 months) but bring to room temp before serving with toasted baguette, endive, crackers and cornichons.