THE ARK RESTAURANT SMOKED SALMON PATE'

Steps:

• Watercress Sauce:.
• In food processor, puree watercress, mustard, salt and pepper until smooth.
• With machine running, add oil drop by drop as mixture thickens.
• Add lemon juice, then add sour cream.
• Set aside to chill while preparing pate.
• Pate:.
• Butter a 3 1/2" X 11 1/2" X 2 1/2" terrine (or glass bread pan)and line it with buttered parchment paper (butter side up).
• Rinse 2-3 sprigs of watercress (for decoration) and lay on a paper towel to dry.
• Blanch remaining watercress in boiling water for 15 seconds, plunge into ice water. Drain and squeeze dry.
• Preheat oven to 250°F.
• In food processor, add onion, smoked salmon, salmon fillets (cut into 1" pieces), dill, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Process until mixture forms a fine paste.
• With machine running on low, slowly add heavy cream. Add eggs, one at a time; process an additional 30 seconds.
• Remove 3/4 of the mixture to a bowl.
• To the remaining 1/4 mixture, add blanched watercress, and mix by cutting through the mixture with a knife. (Mixture will not be uniform in color).
• Put one half of the reserved (no watercress) mixture into the terrine. Cut through it several times with a knife, and then bang it on the counter to settle it.
• Place the watercress-salmon mixture down the middle of the pate in the terrine, distributing as evenly as possible.
• Add the rest of the salmon mixture. Bang it twice to settle it.
• Cover with a piece of buttered parchment paper. Bake in a water bath for 15 minutes at 250°F Turn heat down to 225°F and bake an additional 25 minutes.
• Pate will be firm, but not hard.
• Wait at least 5 minutes and unmold onto a serving plate. Decorate the top of the pate with reserved watercress.
• Serve thin slices with watercress sauce laced diagonally across.