In Episode 051 of the Grill Like A Mother podcast we are making a smoked salmon ball! This recipe uses the smoked salmon Taryn went over in Episode 050, which is a family recipe that was passed down from her grandfather to her father to her, but it can also be made with smoked salmon you buy at the store. This is a simple and quick recipe that’s perfect for large gatherings and the holidays.
Listen on iTunes, Stitcher, TuneIn, or your favorite podcast player. Or scroll down to read a full transcript.
RECIPES MENTIONED
These are some of the recipes mentioned in the episode, all of which are on Hot Pan Kitchen.
RESOURCES MENTIONED
Some of the following are affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
- Grill Like A Mother Episode 016 – Grilling Salmon with Joe Kristof
- Grill Like A Mother Episode 050 – How to Smoke Salmon
- Mini food processor
TRANSCRIPT
Taryn Solie: Hello grillers, and thank you for tuning in today! I am your host, Taryn Solie, and I am here to give you some grilling inspiration. In this episode I will be going over one recipe in detail from my recipe website, Hot Pan Kitchen, including the full ingredient list and instructions as well as some tips and tricks to help you along the way.
In today’s episode we’re going to be making a smoked salmon cheese ball. In Episode 50 I went over my family’s smoked salmon recipe, and this recipe uses that smoked salmon to make a really delicious appetizer. This is another family recipe that my dad wrote out for me. He’s been making salmon balls for years and feels like he’s perfected his technique, and I would have to agree with him!
Now, I interviewed my dad on this podcast in Episode 16 where we talk a lot about salmon – the different types, different ways to cook it, just all things salmon. If you’re curious about it or you just love cooking and smoking fish I highly suggest you go back and listen as it’s a really great episode.
Okay, let’s get into the recipe. To make this smoked salmon ball, you will need:
- 8 ounces of smoked salmon, with is roughly 2 small to medium fillets of fish;
- 8 ounces of cream cheese, which is 1 block;
- 1 clove of garlic, peeled and lightly crushed;
- 1 shallot;
- 2-3 teaspoons of fresh dill fronds; and
- the juice of half a lemon.
This is a pretty simple recipe so we’re going to jump right into how to make it.
First you’ll want to remove the block of cream cheese from the refrigerator so it warms up as you prep the rest of the ingredients. You’ll be mashing the salmon and other items into the cream cheese and it will be much more difficult to do that if the cream cheese is cold.
Grab a medium mixing bowl and rub the inside with the fresh garlic that’s been lightly crushed – this helps impart some of the garlic flavor without being overpowering. If you’re not sure how to lightly crush garlic, I like to put it on a cutting board then place the knife on top of it sideways – so lying flat on top of the garlic – and gently press down. This will both help you peel the garlic and break it up slightly to release the juices inside. That’s what you want to rub in the bowl. You can discard the remaining garlic, or keep it for a different recipe if you like.
Okay, next you want to peel then mince the shallot. You can either do this with a sharp knife on a cutting board or you can get a small food processor out and do a really fine mince on the garlic. You’ll also need to chop the fresh dill fronds if you haven’t already. Place both the shallot and dill in the bowl.
Now comes the smoked salmon. First you’ll want to remove any bones, then you’ll break it up and put it in the bowl. This can mostly be done in one step as you’ll need to break the salmon apart to get the bones out anyway. There’s no real trick to this – just use your fingers to find the bones and pull them out as you do. Place the deboned smoked salmon pieces in the bowl with the other ingredients. If the pieces are still large, go ahead and use a fork to break them up further – you want them to be fairly small before you mix them up with the cream cheese. Don’t forget to take one last look for salmon bones as they’re very thin and can be hard to see.
Next add in the lemon juice and softened cream cheese, then use that same fork to blend everything together. It may start out stiff and kind of hard to stir, but keep working it and the mixture will start to come together.
Choose a platter or plate to put the salmon ball on, then scoop the mixture out of the bowl and onto the plate in one pile. Take a large piece of plastic wrap and drape it over the salmon mixture, then use both hands to shape the mixture into a ball. Or if you want you can be fancy and try shaping into something else, like a little fish, but a ball is easiest.
If you’re going to serve the salmon ball right away, remove the plastic and put it out for people to eat! If not, keep the plastic on and place it in the fridge. It will keep for a day or two this way, and you can take it out when you’re ready to serve it. I would recommend taking it out 15-20 minutes ahead of when you plan to serve it as it will help the cream cheese soften and be easier for guests to eat that way.
Our family typically serves this with crackers and cut up veggies, like carrots, celery, or cucumber. But you could also serve it with sliced and toasted baguettes – I would use gluten free bread but use what works for you and your guests.
This recipe tends to come out around the holidays or larger gatherings so I’m usually looking for other appetizers to serve with it. If you’re in the same boat, I have a roasted garlic cashew dip that has the same look and texture of hummus but a richer and more layered flavor – it’s so good – and my family has deviled eggs at pretty much every big family gathering so I would also serve those.
I’ll include a link to the full printable recipe for this smoked salmon ball, as well as other recipes I’ve mentioned, on the show notes page. To get to it you can either go to my main website at Hot Pan Kitchen dot com and click on podcast in the main menu, or you can click on the link provided in whatever podcast app you’re listening on.
If you enjoyed this episode, I would love it if you would subscribe to the show on your favorite podcast platform.
That’s it for today, thank you so much for listening, and until next time, keep grilling like a mother.
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