Smoked salmon terrine recipe: How to make Clodagh McKenna's perfect Christmas lunch starter

This week, our chef Clodagh McKenna prepares a simple starter for the famous festive lunch
Clodagh McKenna28 November 2018

I know the idea of hosting Christmas lunch can be terrifying if you haven’t much cooking experience, so I have decided to dedicate my column over the next few weeks to helping you get prepared for the big feast of the year.

This week I am kicking off with a Christmas starter. My first advice is to pick a recipe that you can make the day before. There is so much to do on Christmas Day, what with the turkey and all the trimmings, that having your starter already prepared will take so much pressure off. Second, keep it simple and light. A delicious smoked salmon, or gravlax thinly sliced with homemade aioli, capers and soda bread, is a fantastic easy starter.

Soups are also great because you can make them a couple of days beforehand — parsnip and apple with crispy pancetta to garnish, or celeriac with a hazelnut and sage rémoulade is utterly delicious.

Salads are quick to throw together and a good fresh starter. Creamy blue cheese and walnut with honey-roasted figs is a good classic of seasonal tastes, while radicchio with roast beetroot, goats’ cheese and pomegranates is so seasonal. Fresh Irish oysters, served naturally with a vinaigrette, are heavenly. But my favourite Christmas starter is this smoked salmon terrine from my book Clodagh’s Kitchen Diaries. Thin layers of cream cheese whipped with dill, lemon and capers spread between layers of smoked salmon.

The combinations are so good together and you can make it two days in advance. It not only tastes fantastic but it also looks so beautiful when sliced on to a plate, served with a crisp chenin blanc. Next week I will be sharing ideas and recipes for all the trimmings for the turkey.

Smoked salmon terrine

Ingredients

300g sliced smoked salmon (12 slices)

500g cream cheese, softened

80ml double cream

1 lemon, juice and zest

3 tbsp finely chopped fresh dill

2 tbsp capers, drained

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

1. Place the cream cheese, cream, lemon zest, lemon juice, dill and capers in a bowl. Season with pepper and then mix to combine all the ingredients.

2. Line a terrine or loaf tin with clingfilm, allowing a 5cm overhang on each side.

3. Cover the base of the tin with a layer of smoked salmon. Using a spatula, spread a thin layer of a third of the cream cheese mixture over the salmon. Repeat layers, finishing with salmon. Fold the clingfilm over the salmon. Press down gently and refrigerate overnight.

4. Just before serving, turn onto a platter or board. Remove the clingfilm, trim ends off (if necessary) and slice — each slice should be about 2cm thick.

5. Serve family-style on a wooden board with wedges of lemon and sprigs of fresh dill, or alternatively serve each portion on a single plate with chopped up fresh dill and a wedge of lemon.

Follow Clodagh on Instagram @clodagh_mckenna

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