Une réception en vogue

I have frequently enjoyed combining smoked salmon with fresh, and in the beurre de saumon the idea receives an extravagant interpretation in a molded dish that can be served in several ways: in thin slices, accompanied by toast; spooned into pretty oval shapes; or on canapés, as an hors-d’oeuvre. I recently made this paté for a Christmas Eve supper, and as the fresh French salmon was quite exorbitant, I bought some frozen Pacific Coast salmon for one-fourth the price! It was very, very good, and once it was puréed one would never have known the difference. So you can use some frozen salmon for this dish, or any other delicate fish for that matter–trout, for instance–but of course, the beauty of salmon is also in its color.