Best Rillettes Recipes

SMOKED SALMON RILLETTES

Steps:

• Pulse shallots, crème fraîche, and butter in a food processor until smooth. Add salmon and process until salmon is coarsely chopped and incorporated, about 15 seconds. Transfer to a medium bowl and stir in lemon zest, lemon juice, kosher salt, pepper, and 1/4 cup chives. Adjust seasonings to taste.
• Spread rillettes onto crackers, then top with chives and sea salt.
• Do ahead
• Rillettes can be made 3 days ahead; cover with plastic wrap, pressing directly on the surface, and chill. Bring to room temperature before serving.

PORK RILLETTES

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 275º. Put the peppercorns, allspice, cloves and coriander in a spice grinder or clean coffee grinder and process until finely ground. Put the pork in a large, deep skillet or Dutch oven and sprinkle with salt and the spice mixture. Add the garlic, bay leaf, rosemary and stock and put the pot over medium heat. Bring to a simmer, cover and put the pot in the oven. Cook, checking every now and then, until the pork is falling apart and beginning to caramelize and the stock has almost entirely evaporated (remove the cover if necessary to get the liquid to evaporate; the bottom of the pot should be just about all melted fat when you're done), 2 1/2 to 3 hours.
• Strain the mixture; reserve the fat and discard the garlic, bay leaf, rosemary and any gristle. Transfer the pork to a bowl and mash it into small shreds with the back of a fork. Add 1/4 cup of the reserved fat and stir to combine. Taste and season with salt and pepper if you like (keep in mind that the colder you serve the rillettes, the less salty they will taste). Pack the rillettes into a mason jar or another container and refrigerate (covered tightly, they will keep for at least a week). Serve cold or at room temperature.

PORK RILLETTES

Steps:

• Reserve 1 bay leaf, then tip everything except the duck fat and serving suggestions into a bowl and season generously. If you have time, cover and leave the meat to marinate overnight in the fridge - however, this isn't essential.
• Heat oven to 140C/120C fan/gas 1. Tip the meat and all the juices into a flameproof casserole dish with a lid. Pour over 250ml water, or enough to just cover the meat, and place the pan on a low heat. As soon as it starts to bubble, pop on the lid and put in the oven for 2½-3 hrs, removing it once to give it a good stir.
• The meat should now be very tender. Leave it to cool slightly in the pan, then drain over a bowl to catch the fat and juices. Shred the pork by hand or put in a food processor and pulse a few times to shred, but don't overwork it into a paste. Taste, add extra seasoning if needed, then press meat into 2 small or 1 large serving dish, or pack into individual ramekins. Pour the juices and fat back over the meat, and put in the fridge for at least 2 hrs for the fat to harden. (To keep the rillettes for a week or so, cover with a layer of duck fat, and lay a bay leaf and a couple of juniper berries on top for decoration.)
• Serve with sourdough toast, cornichons and a few bitter leaves (such as curly endive, rocket and radicchio), in a sharp mustardy dressing.

RILLETTES (ANTHONY BOURDAIN AT LES HALLES)

Steps:

• Place the pork belly and shoulder in a heavy bottomed pot. Add water and the bouquet garni and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally.
• After 6 hours, stir in the salt and pepper and remove from the heat. Discard the bouquet garni.
• Once the meat is cooled enough to handle, transfer it to a mixing bowl, using forks, shred the meat (not mush, SHREDS is the key)
• Shovel some still warm pork into your mouth -- you know you want to.
• Divide the mixture among several small containers. Top each portion with a slice or two of pork fat to completely cover it, fold the mixture together a bit then wrap each container in plastic wrap.
• Place in the refrigerator and let them sit for 3 days before serving. Don't cheat on the 3 days because it just gets better as the flavors marry up!

DUCK RILLETTES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 250 degrees F (120 degrees C). Line a 9x13 baking dish with 2 pieces of aluminum foil.
• Stir kosher salt, 2 teaspoons black pepper, and dried thyme together in a bowl. Mix garlic, ginger, orange zest strips, fresh thyme, and bay leaves together in another bowl.
• Season duck all over, inside and out, with about 2/3 of the kosher salt mixture. Fill duck cavity with garlic mixture.
• Place duck, breast-side up, into prepared baking dish and season with remaining salt mixture. Wrap duck tightly in aluminum foil.
• Roast in the preheated oven until meat pulls away from the bones, 5 to 6 hours. Cool duck with its accumulated juices, wrapped in aluminum foil, to room temperature. Chill in the refrigerator for 12 hours or overnight.
• Pick meat from bones and place in a bowl.
• Spoon all accumulated juices in the foil into a saucepan and place over medium-high heat. Cook until hot throughout; strain through a fine-mesh strainer into a bowl. Let fat and stock separate; transfer fat from the top to another bowl.
• Mash duck meat, 3 tablespoons duck fat, 2 tablespoons duck stock, butter, brandy, parsley, chives, Dijon mustard, cayenne pepper, salt, and ground black pepper together in a bowl with a wooden spoon; transfer to a sealable container, press down, and drizzle a little duck fat over the top. Sprinkle thyme leaves, black pepper, and orange zest over the top. Seal the container and refrigerate for the flavors to blend, 1 to 3 days.

FRESH & SMOKED SALMON RILLETTES

Steps:

• Put the vermouth, onion, lemon juice, parsley stalks and peppercorns in a saucepan with 150ml water and bring to the boil. Simmer for 10 mins. Turn the heat down to a very gentle simmer, add the salmon fillet and poach for 4 mins. Let the salmon sit and cool in the liquid.
• Lift the salmon out of its poaching liquid, remove the skin and flake the flesh roughly. Mix the flesh with the smoked salmon, a good squeeze of lemon, the butter, chervil and some pepper. Tip into a bowl, cover and put in the fridge (be sure to bring it back to room temperature to serve).
• Mix the crème fraîche with the herbs, capers, shallot, oil and lemon juice to taste. Serve the rillettes with leaves of chicory - its bitterness is very good against the richness of the salmon - the caper crème fraîche and some rye bread, if you like.

SALMON RILLETTES

Steps:

• Put the salmon and poaching ingredients into a pan and just cover with cold water. Bring to a gentle boil, then turn down and poach for 4 mins. set aside, off the heat, for 5 mins to carry on cooking. lift out the salmon and break into large flakes with a fork. Allow to cool.
• Whizz the cheese in a processor, then add the poached salmon and pulse until blended. if you don't have a processor, mash the fish with a fork and stir into the softened cheese. Add the lemon zest, juice and season to taste (if using a processor, do this with a spoon so that the mix doesn't get overworked).
• Take two dessertspoons, wet with water, then scoop up a generous spoonful of the salmon mix with one. now bring the second spoon over and under the mix, transferring it from one spoon to the other, turning it over as you go. Do this several times until you have an even, egg-shaped portion. Repeat with the rest of the mix, putting them on a plate when done. Cover lightly with cling film. Chill for at least 2 hrs and up to 2 days ahead. Meanwhile, mix the mustard and crème fraîche with seasoning to make a dressing and make the soda bread, see link, right.
• To serve, lay a slice of smoked salmon on 8 plates and top with the rillettes. Spoon the dressing on the side and top with ½ tsp keta and a sprig of dill. Serve with the toasted bread, lemon wedges and dressed salad leaves.

SALMON RILLETTES

Steps:

• In a medium skillet, heat olive oil over medium. Add onion and saute until golden, about 10 minutes. Let cool slightly; transfer to a food processor with salmon, dill, mayonnaise, mustard, and lemon juice and zest. Pulse until just combined. Transfer to serving dish and garnish with more dill. Serve with matzoh or store in refrigerator, covered, up to 3 days.

FIVE SPICE PORK RILLETTES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°F with rack in lower third.
• Mince and mash garlic with five-spice powder, 1 tablespoon kosher salt, and 1/2 tsp pepper. Rub onto pork and fatback in a 5-quart heavy pot. Wrap parsley, bay leaf, and halved scallions in cheesecloth and tie with string. Add to pot with pork, water, and 1/3 cup Sherry and bring to a boil. Cover and braise in oven until meat is very tender, about 3 hours.
• Boil carrot until crisp-tender, about 4 minutes. Stir in chopped scallion and cook 1 minute. Drain and cool slightly.
• Drain pork mixture in a large sieve set over a bowl, reserving liquid. Finely shred meat and lightly mash fatback with tines, transferring both to a bowl. Skim and reserve fat from liquid. Stir 1/2 cup liquid into meat with vegetables, remaining tablespoon Sherry and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1/2 tsp pepper. Cool.
• Transfer to terrine, pressing lightly. Top with 1/4 inch of fat. Cool, then chill 8 hours. Serve at room temperature.

DUCK-CONFIT RILLETTES

Steps:

• Shred the duck meat, discarding the skin and bones. Place the shredded meat in a food processor and add 1 tablespoon of duck fat. Pulse the machine and add enough of the remaining fat so the rillettes hold together. Season the rillettes with plenty of pepper and serve with toasted country bread. Alternatively, spoon the rillettes into ramekins, top with a layer of duck fat, and store in the refrigerator. They will keep for several weeks.

RILLETTES

Steps:

• Place the pork belly and shoulder in the heavy-bottomed pot. Add water and bouquet garni and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally. After 6 hours, stir in salt and pepper and remove from heat. Discard bouquet garni.
• Once meat is cool enough to handle, transfer it to the mixing bowl; using a fork, shred the meat, taking care to preserve the natural filament -- meaning you want shreds, not mush. Feel free to shovel a little still-warm pork into your face. C'mon, you know you want to.
• Next, divide the mixture among several small containers. Top each portion with a slice or two of pork fat to completely cover it, fold the mixture together a bit, then wrap each container in plastic wrap. Place in the refrigerator and allow to sit for 3 days before serving. This is the hardest part -- just know that it only gets better as those flavors marry up in the fridge.
• To serve: Scoop some out, form it into a vaguely artful shape (with a metal ring for instance), and garnish with toasted baguette rounds and cornichons. Left covered, rillettes will keep in the refrigerator for up to a month.

SMOKED SALMON RILLETTES WITH RYE TOASTS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Combine the smoked salmon and 1/2 cup olive oil in a food processor and process until the mixture is spreadable. Transfer to a pastry bag (or resealable plastic bag with a corner snipped) and divide the salmon rillette equally among four 8-ounce mason jars. Set aside and wipe out the food processor.
• Combine the tomatoes, cucumbers, red onion and capers in a medium bowl. Add the lemon juice and a drizzle of olive oil and stir to combine. Top the rillettes with the tomato mixture to fill the jars.
• Brush the crostini with olive oil, transfer to a rimmed baking sheet and bake until golden and toasted, about 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, lightly coat a large skillet with olive oil and heat over high heat. Add the scallions and cook, stirring, until translucent. Add the vodka and cook, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon, until the skillet is almost dry.
• Transfer the scallions to a food processor, add the cream cheese and process until fully incorporated. Spread the scallion cream cheese on the crostini, sprinkle the rillettes with parsley and serve.

SMOKED AND FRESH SALMON RILLETTES

Steps:

• Note: All ingredients must be at room temperature. Chilling time of 6 hours not included in cook time.
• Brush olive oil over fresh salmon; wrap in aluminum foil and cook in oven preheated to 400 degreesF (200 degreesC) for 8 minutes. Remove and let cool.
• Break up cooked salmon by hand into smaller chunks of about 1/2 inch (12 mm). Cut smoked salmon into similar-size pieces.
• Chop shallots, capers and chives and hand mix in a stainless steel bowl with cooked salmon, smoked salmon, yogurt, lime juice and clarified butter.
• Mix in Tabasco, then place mixture in a 4-cup (1-L) terrine mould and refrigerate, covered, 6 hours.
• Serve sliced 1 inch (2.5 cm) thick with Pommeroy Mustard Mayonnaise (3 parts mayonnaise to 1 part grainy mustard).

RILLETTES DE PORC (POTTED PORK)

Steps:

• 1- Prepare all your ingredient. (Préparer tous les ingrédients).
• 2- Remove the skin from a fresh pork belly. (Retirer la couanne de la poitrine de porc).
• 3- Cut the meat into 2 cm squares. (Coupé la poitrine de porc en carré d'environ 2cm).
• 4- Add the pork belly into a heavy pot (i.e. enameled cast iron works well). (Mettre les morceau de poitrine de porc dans une cocotte en fonte).
• 5- Add two good glassful of water. (Ajouter environ 2 verres plein d'eau).
• 6- Add a tea spoon of pepper. (Ajouter une cuillère à café de poivre).
• 7- Add a table spoon of salt. (Ajouter une cuillere à soupe de sel).
• 8- Add the two Garlic cloves. (Ajoutere deux gousses d'ail).
• 9- Add one bay leaf. (Ajouter la feuille de laurier).
• 10- Add the dried thyme. (Ajouter du thym).
• 11- Add the dried sage. (Ajouter de la sauge).
• 12- Check that you have all the ingredient inches. (Vérifier que vous n'avez oublier aucun ingredient).
• 13- Cover, bring to the boil, and simmer the mixture for 3h00 / 2h30, checking occasionally to make sure the mixture does not become too dry (add more boiling water if this happens). (Couvrir et portez a l'ébullition, puis laisser cuire à feu doux pour 3h00 / 3h30, Verifier durant la cuisson que la
• poirine ne se desséche pas, si c'est le cas rajouter un peu d'eau).
• 14- Remove from the heat and remove the bay leaf et move the piece of pork to a dish. (Retirer la feuille de laurier et transferer les morceaux de porc dans un plat).
• 15- Strain off the remaining juices from the casserol, much of which will be pork fat, and set aside. (Tranferer tous le jus de cuisson).
• 16- Use your fingersto shred the meat finely. (Utiliser vos doigt pour émincer les morceaux tres finement - triturer).
• 17- place the meat in a terrine. (Transferre la pâte émincée dans des terrines).
• 18- Pushdown and compact. (Presser et compacter).
• 19- Strain the reserved juice over the meat. (Verser le jus reccuperé précèdement au dessus).
• 20- The juice should stand above the meet. (Le jus devrait se maintenir au dessus).
• 21- Chill the rillettes in the refrigerator for at least 180 minutes until set. (Mettre au frigidaire toute la nuit).
• 22- In the morning get the rillettes from the fridge. (Dans la matinée sortir les rillettes du frigidaire).
• 23- Ready to serve with crusty bread and gurkins. Enjoy also with some wine before to start the Lunch or the dinner). (Deguster avec du pain et des cornichons. A midi ou dans la soirée avec un petit coup de rouge ou de blanc comme Graioun).

SALMON RILLETTES

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a saute pan and gently cook the salmon, leaving the pieces slightly pink in the center, about 5 minutes. Cool. In a food processor or using two forks, shred the salmon and mix with the butter. Add the creme fraiche, shallot and tarragon. Season the mixture with salt, pepper and lemon juice. Pack into ramekins or similar small pots. Keep in the refrigerator, but before serving, take it out to soften because you want it nice and smearable.

MINI PEPPERS STUFFED WITH TUNA AND OLIVE RILLETTES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 425 degrees. Line a sheet pan with foil. Place peppers on baking sheet and roast very small peppers (less than 2 inches long) for 8 to 10 minutes, larger peppers for 15 minutes, turning them over halfway through. They should be soft but only charred in a few spots. Remove from oven and allow to cool.
• Meanwhile, in a mini-chop or in a mortar and pestle, pulse or grind olives, garlic and capers to a paste.
• In a bowl, mash tuna with a fork and work in olive mixture, mustard, olive oil, yogurt, lemon juice, rosemary and thyme.
• When peppers have cooled, slice off ends just below shoulders. Carefully remove any seeds and membranes. The peppers should be intact, but sometimes they split down one side. Cut large peppers in half lengthwise. Spoon tuna rillettes into peppers and arrange on a plate or platter. Serve at once, or chill until 30 minutes before serving. Bring to room temperature before serving so that the rillettes are soft.

SALMON RILLETTES

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a simmer. Add the celery, onion, leek, peppercorns, bay leaf, wine and lemon and simmer for 25 minutes.
• Then add the salmon. Cover the pot, remove it from the heat, and let it stand for 10 minutes.
• Remove the salmon and chill it in the refrigerator. Discard the vegetable water.
• In a food processor or by hand, whip with salmon with the crème fraîche, chives, and olive oil, and add salt and pepper to taste. Keep the spread chilled until you're ready to serve.

RILLETTES OF DUCK

Steps:

• Lay duck breast side down. With sharp knife carefully remove skin. Cut off 5 ounces (approximately 1/2 cup) duck fat, chop into fine dice; reserve. Discard skin. Remove meat from carcass, cut meat from the breast and from the thigh in strips. Do not use meat from lower leg.
• Finely mince barding fat in food processor.
• Clean vegetables. Cut onion in half horizontally and carrot in half lengthwise.
• Place barding fat and duck fat in casserole. Add water to barely cover. Set over medium heat; cover and simmer 30 to 45 minutes, stirring occasionally, until water has evaporated. Fat should be almost completely melted.
• Add pork fillet, duck, garlic, onion, carrot, bouquet garni, salt and pepper and pepper corns Add 1 cup of wine; bring to boil. Cover and place over low heat so mixture is barely simmering. Cook 3 hours, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; remove vegetables and aromatics. Add remaining wine; cover with damp cloth and let cool. Be sure cloth does not touch mixture.
• When lukewarm mix thoroughly with fingers. Taste, and correct seasoning.
• Fill a two-quart terrine and cover with foil. Refrigerate for at least two days before eating. Serve with country bread.

RILLETTES OF SALMON

Steps:

• In a bowl, whisk the mayonnaise, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, olive oil, Worcestershire, hot pepper sauce, capers, caper juice, salt, and black pepper. Whisk in 2 tablespoons chives and taste for seasoning. Cover and refrigerate until needed. Will keep for 2 to 3 days refrigerated. Makes about 1 cup.
• Preheat an 8-inch skillet over high heat. Add the water and lemon juice, the liquid should be about 3/4 inches deep. Generously season the salmon fillet on both sides with salt and pepper. Put the salmon in skillet, and bring the water to a simmer (about 180 degrees). Reduce the heat to very low, tightly cover the pan, and poach the salmon until medium rare, 5 to 6 minutes. Remove the salmon to a plate and place it in the refrigerator to cool.
• Remove any pin bones from the salmon and break the fish up into the mayonnaise. Add the smoked salmon and fold together. Garnish with lemon zest and remaining tablespoon of chives. Store tightly covered in the refrigerator. Serve cool but not cold.
• Cooking Notes: For the most luscious texture, poach the salmon on your stovetop's lowest possible setting, with the water just gently steaming the fish.
• Wine Notes: Chardonnay is wonderful with this dish, but please ask your wine merchant for one with little or no oak, so it does not clash with the woody flavor of the smoked salmon.

DUCK RILLETTES

Steps:

• Cut breasts from duck and discard skin and all visible fat. Reserve legs and carcass for another use.
• Brown duck neck (halved if necessary) in a dry 2- to 3-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat, turning once, about 10 minutes total. Transfer to a plate. Pat duck breasts dry and season with salt and pepper, then add to pan and brown over moderate heat, turning once, about 8 minutes total. Transfer to plate with duck neck.
• Add Armagnac to pan and deglaze by boiling, scraping up any brown bits, until most of liquid is evaporated. Add 2 cups water, shallots, garlic, sliced carrot, thyme, bay leaf, kosher salt, peppercorns, and duck breasts and neck with any juices on plate and cook at a bare simmer, covered, 1 hour. Discard neck, then transfer breasts to a plate and cool. Shred duck meat, then chop.
• Pour broth through a sieve into a bowl, discarding solids. (If liquid measures less than 2 cups, add water.) Return to cleaned pan and add chopped carrot. Simmer, covered, until carrot is tender, 3 to 5 minutes.
• While carrot is cooking, sprinkle gelatin over remaining 2 tablespoons water in a cup and let soften 1 minute.
• Stir softened gelatin into hot broth until dissolved, then stir in duck meat, parsley, and salt and pepper to taste. Ladle into crocks (you'll have about 3 cups total) and chill, covered, until set, 3 to 4 hours. Let stand at room temperature 20 minutes before serving.