Last spring, I attended the Beast Feast, a wild game potluck hosted by the Baptist Church in Fossil. Among the many dishes, one stood out: the most heavenly salmon dip I had ever tasted. It was light, puffy and fluffy, with a texture that reminded me of a down pillow. I just had to know who made it.
After a few inquiries, I tracked down the cook, Glenna Lange. When I asked her to tell me about the recipe, she said it came from the Sylvia Beach Hotel in Newport, Oregon. To my delight, she agreed to mail me a copy.
A few days later, the recipe arrived in a pretty envelope and I couldn’t wait to try it. The dip was so good, that was all I ate until it was gone. Then, I made a note to myself: write about this before Christmas. It’s the perfect holiday treat, ideal for a festive dinner or a potluck table.
And I’m not the only one who thinks it’s delicious. Just last weekend, I attended the Spray holiday bazaar with my friend Irina, who was selling her candied jalapeno peppers. We spread the salmon mousse on Ritz crackers and topped them with her peppers. The combination was wonderfully flavorful, and we heard rave reviews from nearly everyone who sampled them (next week’s column will be about those amazing candied jalapenos, and where to find them).
So, ladies and gentlemen, here is the original recipe:
The Sylvia Beach Hotel’s Salmon Mousse
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
3 ounces butter, softened
1 clove garlic, chopped
Mix in a food processor, then add 2 ounces salmon (plain or smoked), lemon juice, dill (fresh or dried), and salt and pepper to taste. Whip one cup of heavy cream and fold into the salmon mixture. Mold in plastic wrap for several hours. Garnish with capers, green onions, lemon slices, chives, etc. Glenna said she uses a spice blend called “Salmon Seasoning” from the Starlight Herb and Spice Company.
I didn’t have a food processer, so I used my immersion blender and it worked just fine. I used a whole piece of smoked salmon —probably about 6 ounces. I also wasn’t paying close attention to the instructions and blended the salmon in with the cream cheese and butter, but it turned out fine. I added all the juice from one big lemon, about two teaspoons dill weed and a teaspoon of Johnny’s seasoning salt. I whipped the cream until it was quite dense, almost like butter.
I hope to see Glenna at the next Beast Feast potluck so I can give her a hug and thank her again for sharing this wonderful recipe with all of us.