Friday: Happy Hour

Celebrate the cocktail hour on a lovely spring afternoon

The inspiration for my happy hour menu was a recipe for “Crab & Smoked Salmon Terrine” from Stéphane Reynaud’s book, Terrine. I love the concept of a terrine: the layers of color and flavor, combination of textures, and the delight of unmolding something you’ve worked so carefully on- hoping it’s going to come out right. A terrine is meant to be shared with others, and serving one at the cocktail hour brings a spirit of conviviality to the occasion. Everyone will “ooh” and “ahhh” over your delicate handiwork, and you will feel right proud of yourself.

The terrine is traditionally a humble and rustic dish, but any terrine using seafood is a delicate and sophisticated creation- like a ballerina. It’s perfect for a warm, sunny spring afternoon with an elderflower spritzer.

In the spirit of intuitive cooking I was inspired by Stéphane Reynaud’s recipe but chose not to follow it. Right now I’m craving the bright flavors of lemon and spring herbs rather than his cocktail sauce and sautéed spinach. Instead of using raw egg to bind the crab meat as Stéphane did, I made a honey mustard dressing. Another beautiful thing about this recipe is you don’t have to cook any of the ingredients with heat, just bring them all together, like making a salad.

inspired by Stéphane Reynaud

Ingredients
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
1 teaspoon honey
2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 can (4 ounces) crab meat, drained and patted dry
2 ounces smoked salmon, diced
1 teaspoon minced shallot
2 teaspoons chopped parsley
1 teaspoon chopped dill
1 teaspoon chopped chive
2 teaspoons chopped mint
1/4 cup diced cucumber, peeled and seeded

Make the honey mustard dressing by combining the dijon mustard, honey, and white wine vinegar in a bowl with a pinch of salt and pepper. Gradually whisk in the extra virgin olive oil. Taste for balance and adjust by adding what is needed: salt, vinegar, or more oil. Pour the dressing over the crab meat and gently toss to combine. Soak the shallot in a bit of white wine vinegar for a minute just to take off some of the heat. Then combine the shallot and the smoked salmon.

Now it’s time to assemble the terrine.  I split the ingredients equally to between two 6 ounce ramekins lined with plastic wrap. First I pressed in a layer of smoked salmon, then I sprinkled in parsley, dill, and chive. Next I pressed in the cucumber followed by a sprinkling of mint and ending with the crab meat. I wrapped the plastic over the crab meat base and weighed the terrine down with a soda can. After chilling for one hour, the terrine may be removed from its mold and served to your friends with some tasty crackers.

Serves 4 as a light snack