I made this for our graduation dinner at the James Beard House in NYC, from cooking school. I don’t have exact measurements so you’ll have to wing it, like I did. Let’s say this is one of three appetizers you’re preparing for a party of eight. You’ll probably want three per guest, that’s 24. If you don’t want to use potatoes it’s a lot easier to use a slice of European (seedless) cucumber as the base.
Equipment: pastry bag and star tip #6. They now make disposable bags, Sur La Table.
The day before your party take two cups of heavy cream with 2-3 Tbsp buttermilk, cover and set on counter to thicken. If it doesn’t thicken near party time you can whisk it to the consistency of whipped cream.
Take 5-6 equally-sized red new potatoes and cut off the round edges so they’ll lay flat. Parboil until done. Or cut cukes in under 1/2″ slices. For potatoes, drain, chill and dry.
If you want to add pulverized smoked salmon and chives or dill, process away!
Take your base (potato slice or cucumber) and pipe on creme fraiche mousse. Top with thin slices of smoked salmon – less is more – and chives or dill, whatever you used in the filling.
If you’re feeling rich in this market (if you are give me your phone number and tell me where you’re working) add a dollop of salmon roe on top.
Working in the kitchen in the James Beard house was a highlight, especially as my family was in his bedroom with mirrors above. My fellow students gave me a lot of the leftovers because we had our Canadian family in town as well as friends and neighbors for a 20-person brunch at my parents’ the next day. I think after clean-up I slept maybe four hours but it was worth it. I’m really wired tonight! Enjoy, Dee
Cooking with Dee 
If you’re using seedless cuke for the base and are afraid it’s going to get wet and be unstable for a guest to handle with one hand, make sure you have some bread and a sharp cutter.
I buy tins of the same cutter in different sizes. So if you’re using cocktail bread of rye or pumpernickel varieties you can use the cutters on the bread and cuke together, and “glue” the cuke to thte bread with a smear of the pate to make it stick.
Likewise if you’re using a thin white dense bread such as one made by Pepperidge farm. Try to get two rounds out of each slice and if you want, save the trimmings for stuffing. Again, use a slight bit of the pate to keep the cuke from sliding.
Either slice and salt the cucumber slices, rinse in 15 minutes and dry thoroughly before assembling the appetizers; or don’t use any salt on the cukes at all otherwise they’ll leak all over your canapes. Dee
Yep, I remember savoring this delicious appy w/ much other amazing food that night. The bedroom w/ mirrors was special, but I also remember a lovely small garden. HMMM, next day’s brunch also included a spectacular terrine a la Dee. We flew home from Irvington’s spring weather to a snowstorm in Buffalo.
As I recall it was a ballotine, not a galantine. Was it chicken or duck? Anyway it’s a totally boned out bird stuffed and rolled and totally out of my milieu these days. But I thank Lorna and Joan and the McD’s for being there for a very special weekend.
Joan, glad you can read this post. xoxo D