The Hunger Struck - Confessions of a Food Fanatic.

This is another little ode to Ina Garten, who never fails me. There are things that happen when I use one of her recipes that I just can’t explain, but one thing is for sure they are simple and always turn out as wonderful as they look. I whipped up this smoked salmon mousse this weekend after we opened another huge package of my fathers amazing wild smoked salmon, a package that is just way too big for two people to finish off in just one week.

I’m always sort of hesitant to do anything too fancy with this salmon as I think it’s really at its best when eaten simply with a little cream cheese, capers and red onion on bread. The delicate flavor is easily lost when mixed with too many flavors and I’m not a fan of cooking smoked salmon in any way – the combination of smoked salmon and eggs is about as wrong as food parings get for me.

I’d been eyeing this Ina Garten recipe of a while now and I knew that the opportunity to give it a whirl would come around sooner rather than later with all the wonderful fresh and smoked wild salmon I have access to. This recipe is simple, flavored with lemon juice, dill and horseradish only just enough to highlight the wonderful delicate flavor of the fish, nothing overpowering, it’s smooth and creamy and perfect to dip a piece of bread in.

Smoked Salmon Spread - Recipe adapted from The Barefoot Contessa Family Style by Ina Garten

This recipe would also be fantastic with a tablespoon of roughly chopped carpers, if you aren’t a fan of horseradish I would suggest substituting in a few capers!

8 ounces of cream cheese, at room temperature

1/2 cup sour cream

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 1/2 tablespoons minced fresh dill

1 teaspoon of horseradish

1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper to taste

4 ounces fresh smoked salmon, minced

In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or in a large bowl if mixing by hand mix the cream cheese until smooth. Add the sour cream, lemon juice, dill, horseradish salt and pepper. Mix in the smoked salmon and refrigerate until cold. Serve with sliced veggies or bread.