On the fifth plate of Christmas,
my kitchen gave to me:
Smoked Salmon Mousse, 
Vanilla Passionfruit Marshmallows,
M&M Coconut Balls,
Bacon Cheese Dip,
And a Gingerbread Loaf with a dollop of cream.

One of the lovely things about having a summer Christmas is that you can stray from the traditional hot dinner and enjoy some seafood. Big bowls of prawns, bbq’d scallops (yep, because we can enjoy a day outside having a bbq since there’s no snow), crabs, fish… yum yum. So while I’d love to enjoy a white Christmas some time, there are definitely some perks to being down under during the festive season: lazying by the pool, hitting the beach, bbqs, a game of backyard cricket…

This year Mum and I have decided that instead of a full dinner, we are going to serve a finger food Christmas. I’ve always loved using smoked salmon for appetizers, usually served with just some cream cheese and capers to put on crackers but I’ve found a new way of serving it and it rocks! Ok, so I’ve always known that savoury mousse was a “thing” but honestly the concept kinda freaked me out. Mousse should be chocolate, not salmon. But maybe they actually did know a thing or two about entertaining during the 70’s (I think that’s when savoury mousse was popular?), because this salmon mousse wasn’t weird at all (I did make hubby try it first though, just in case *wink*). It was really delicious, had a lovely texture (fluffy!) and was super moreish. Serve with tortilla chips or crackers and a nice glass of white wine. 

It was always the texture that worried me I think. Cream cheese and smoked salmon have always been good friends, as have lemon juice, shallots and gerkins (capers could also work), so flavour-wise there was never any risk… but would the fluffiness be off-putting or endearing? The lighter texture is definitely a plus, you get the same great flavour combinations as the traditional smoked salmon and cream cheese version but without that heavy feeling (which may also mean you eat twice as many… sorry about that!).

There are a few steps to this recipe, but the good thing is that they are all done in advance, so all you have to do when you are ready to serve is pop it out of the mould onto a serving dish… easy as! Start by preparing your mould. A jelly mould or a mini bundt tin work great for this. Just give it a good spray with some oil and then set aside.

Stir the gelatine, water and wine in a small saucepan over heat until the gelatine dissolves. Set aside to cool. Next, grab the cream cheese, lemon juice and half your chopped up smoked salmon and give it a good whiz in your food processor or with your beater. The salmon should be pureed into the cheese. 

Beat the egg whites until firm peaks form, then gently fold half the remaining smoked salmon, gerkins, shallots, dill, cream cheese mix and gelatine liquid into whites. Once just combined, add the remaining ingredients and again gently fold through. 

Pour into prepared tin and place in the fridge to set. Once ready to serve, invert the mould onto a serving tray. If the mousse won’t come out of its mould, you can help it release by running a knife around the edge and by placing it into a dish of hot water for a few seconds. This will allow the outside of the mousse to melt slightly and therefore slip out of the tin when you invert it again.