Delia Smith Salmon Mousse Recipe

Delia Smith’s closest recipe to a salmon mousse is her smoked salmon spread from the Pink ‘Uns in How To Cook, which blitzes smoked salmon trimmings with quark, lemon juice, and cayenne. I took that flavour combination and turned it into a proper mousse by swapping the quark for cream cheese and folding in whipped double cream (heavy cream).

This salmon mousse recipe takes about 15 minutes of active work and then chills in the fridge for at least 2 hours. It serves 6 as a starter and you can make it the day before, which is exactly why I keep coming back to it for dinner parties.

More Salmon Recipes:

• Salmon En Croute
• Whole Poached Salmon
• Smoked Salmon Quiche

Why Whipped Cream Makes It a Mousse

Delia’s original spread is dense and thick because quark holds everything in a tight paste. A mousse needs to be lighter than that, and the only way to get that texture is to fold in double cream whipped to soft peaks.

The cream cheese replaces the quark as the binding base and gives a richer flavour. Fold gently or you knock the air out, and the whole point of the whipped cream is the air it carries into the mixture.

Smoked Salmon Mousse Ingredients

• 225g smoked salmon trimmings
• 200g full-fat cream cheese, at room temperature
• 150ml double cream (heavy cream)
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon fresh dill, finely chopped
• ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• Freshly milled black pepper, no salt

How To Make Salmon Mousse

1. Blitz the base: Place the smoked salmon, cream cheese, lemon juice, and cayenne into a food processor. Blend until smooth, scraping down the sides once or twice.
2. Whip the cream: In a separate bowl, whip the double cream to soft peaks. It should hold its shape but still look glossy, not stiff.
3. Fold together: Tip the salmon mixture into a large bowl. Add a spoonful of whipped cream first and stir it in to loosen the mixture, then fold in the rest gently with a metal spoon. Stir in the chopped dill.
4. Season: Taste and add black pepper. You should not need salt because the smoked salmon provides plenty.
5. Set in the fridge: Spoon into ramekins or a serving dish, smooth the top, cover with cling film (plastic wrap), and chill for at least 2 hours or overnight.
6. Serve: Bring out of the fridge 10 minutes before serving. Eat with thin toast, oatcakes, or sliced cucumber.

Can You Make Salmon Mousse the Day Before

Yes, and this is the reason a Delia Smith salmon mousse works so well for entertaining: it actually tastes better the next day. The flavours settle overnight and the lemon and cayenne mellow into the cream cheese so you get a smoother, rounder taste than you do after just two hours.

Cover tightly with cling film (plastic wrap) pressed onto the surface so it does not form a skin, and it keeps for up to 3 days. I would not freeze it because the whipped cream breaks down when it thaws and the texture goes flat.

What Goes With It

Melba toast or thin slices of sourdough are the classic choice. Delia serves her smoked salmon spread on toasted bagels, and that works here too if you want something more substantial.

For a starter, I put a scoop of mousse on each plate with a few rocket leaves and a lemon wedge. As part of a buffet it sits well next to the whole poached salmon because they are different enough that nobody feels like they are eating the same thing twice.

Turning This Into a Smoked Salmon Terrine

If you want neat slices instead of scoops, the same mixture works as a salmon terrine. Dissolve 2 leaves of gelatine in a tablespoon of warm water and stir it into the blended salmon base before folding in the whipped cream.

Pour into a cling film-lined loaf tin, smooth the top, and chill overnight until set firm. Turn it out, slice with a knife dipped in hot water, and you have neat rounds that hold their shape on the plate.

Salmon Mousse Nutrition Facts

• Calories: 280 kcal
• Protein: 14g
• Fat: 24g
• Carbohydrates: 1g
• Sugar: 1g

Estimated per serving, based on 6 servings, mousse only.

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