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1
Reserve a third of the smoked salmon.
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2
Process the remainder in a food processor with the creme fraiche, butter and lemon rind zest.
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3
Place in a bowl and mix in shallots and lemon juice.
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4
Finely dice the reserved salmon and spoon into four lightly oiled ramekins.
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5
Add rilettes mixture, pressing down lightly to smooth the top and remove any air pockets.
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6
Cover with cling wrap and place in refrigerator until ready to serve.
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7
Peel and thinly slice cucumber, lightly pressing slices into top of each rilette.
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8
If using a Lebabese cucumber, peeling the cucumber is optional.
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9
With a knife, carefully work around the inside edge of each ramekin to release each rilette from the sides of the ramekin.
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10
Invert each ramekin onto each serving plate so that that the cucumber is on the bottom.
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11
Top with a fresh herb sprig.
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12
Serve with warmed triangles of pita bread.
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13
Alternative ingredients: You can use 3 tablespoons of sour cream instead of the creme fraiche, and you can use 4 sprigs of chervil instead of the dill.
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14
Chef's notes: A classic rilette is prepared with fatty mixtures of pork or duck.
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15
This is a modern, healthier version, particularly if you use a low-fat creme fraiche or a low-fat sour cream.
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16
You may like to serve these rilettes on a bed of lettuce.
