Salmon & Smoked Salmon Terrine

Silky, elegant layered terrine with mushrooms, spinach and lemon mayonnaise

A stunning cold starter that looks impressive but is surprisingly straightforward. Perfect make-ahead dish for dinner parties or special lunches — the layers of fresh salmon mousse, smoked salmon and garlicky mushrooms are pure luxury.

Slice to reveal perfect pink and green layers — guaranteed gasps.

Serves
8–10

Prep
45 min + chilling

Cook
45–50 min

Make ahead
Up to 2 days

Ingredients – Classic Salmon Terrine

700 g fresh salmon fillet, skinned and pin-boned
4 eggs
560 ml thick (double/heavy) cream
10 g finely chopped fresh chervil (or parsley/tarragon mix)
250 g button mushrooms, finely diced
1 teaspoon lemon juice
30 g butter
1 tablespoon grated onion
2 tablespoons white wine
10 large spinach leaves
300 g thinly sliced smoked salmon
Salt & white pepper

Lemon Mayonnaise

250 ml good-quality mayonnaise
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Grated zest of 1 lemon

Method – Classic

1. Preheat oven to 170 °C. Lightly oil a 20 × 7 × 9 cm terrine or loaf tin and line base with baking paper.

2. Purée the fresh salmon and eggs in a food processor until completely smooth. Pass through a fine sieve into a bowl set over iced water.

3. Gradually beat in the cream. Stir in the chervil and season well with salt and white pepper. Cover and chill while you prepare the filling.

4. Toss diced mushrooms with lemon juice. Melt butter, cook onion 2 minutes, add mushrooms and cook 4 minutes. Add wine, cook until evaporated. Season and cool.

5. Blanch spinach leaves in boiling water for 10 seconds, refresh in cold water, drain and pat dry.

6. Line terrine with smoked salmon, letting it overhang the sides.

7. Spoon in half the salmon mousse. Layer half the spinach, then all the mushrooms, then remaining spinach. Top with remaining mousse. Fold over the smoked salmon and cover with buttered baking paper.

8. Place in a bain-marie (roasting tin with hot water halfway up sides). Bake 45–50 minutes until a skewer comes out clean.

9. Cool 5 minutes, turn out, chill completely (best overnight). Make lemon mayonnaise by stirring lemon juice and zest through mayonnaise.

10. Slice and serve with the lemon mayonnaise.

Pro tip: Chilling overnight makes slicing perfect clean layers.

Smoked Trout & Dill Terrine (Quick Version)

Replace fresh salmon with 600 g hot-smoked trout (flaked)
Use 400 ml cream + 3 eggs
Add 2 tablespoons chopped dill instead of chervil
Keep mushroom & spinach layers

Follow same method — no need to purée, just fold flaked trout through the cream/egg mixture. Slightly softer texture but incredible flavour and faster.

Prawn, Dill & Lemon Terrine (Seafood Twist)

400 g fresh salmon + 300 g cooked peeled prawns (chopped)
Add 2 tablespoons chopped dill + zest of 1 lemon to mousse
Omit mushrooms, use double spinach layer

Purée salmon as usual, fold in chopped prawns and dill at the end. Layer with extra blanched spinach. Stunning pale pink and green stripes.

Elegant, make-ahead, and always a show-stopper — the perfect special-occasion starter.