Savory salmon bavarois, a quick Christmas appetizer without gluten and eggs. This is the story of a recipe born by mistake that proved to be a winner: a recipe for a Christmas appetizer you can prepare even the day before, elegant and quick, which everyone at my table enjoyed. My recipe for this savory bavarois, as I mentioned, was created by accident: one day I was supposed to make a salmon mousse with whipping cream and mascarpone, but instead of using fresh cream for whipping I used cooking cream. Because of that mistake my mousse wouldn’t whip, and to salvage it I added some gelatin. The final result exceeded my wildest expectations — it was a resounding success, giving me a delicious smoked salmon terrine scented with lemon, incredibly creamy and delicate, which with a simple decoration became a chic and original appetizer. And since I didn’t use flour or eggs, it’s also a gluten-free and egg-free Christmas appetizer, suitable for everyone.
Ready to make our savory salmon bavarois together? Let’s go to the kitchen — you’ll see it will be a big hit on your table too — and this is a Christmas and New Year’s appetizer you can make the day before. If you want to stay updated on new recipes, follow my page Facebook and my profile Instagram, and watch the video recipe on YouTube.
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- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Medium
- Rest time: 2 Hours
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 8-10
- Cooking methods: No-cook
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients to make the Savory Salmon Bavarois
- 1 cup mascarpone ((~250 g, 8.8 oz))
- 1 cup cooking cream ((~250 ml, 8.5 fl oz))
- lemon zest (half a lemon)
- 4.2 oz smoked salmon (for the mousse (~120 g))
- 4 tbsp lemon juice (about 2 fl oz (60 ml))
- to taste pink peppercorns
- 1 pinch salt
- 0.35 oz gelatin (leaf or powdered) (about 10 g (≈1.5 standard envelopes))
- mint (for garnish)
- chopped pistachios (for garnish)
- pomegranate seeds (for garnish)
- to taste smoked salmon (for garnish)
- 1 piece lemon (for garnish)
Tools
- Blender
- Loaf pan
- Parchment paper
- Bowl
- Refrigerator
Steps to make the smoked salmon bavarois
Place the lemon zest and lemon juice, the mascarpone, the smoked salmon, a pinch of salt and a few pink peppercorns in the blender jar; blend until smooth, then whisk until you obtain a light, semi-whipped creamy texture.
As for the lemon juice, adjust it by eye and to your taste, adding more or less as preferred.
Soak the gelatin in cold water for a few minutes; once softened, transfer it to a bowl and, without squeezing, heat it for a few seconds in the microwave or in a double boiler.
Continuously whisk as you pour the gelatin in a thin stream into the mixture and incorporate it quickly to avoid lumps.
Line a loaf pan with parchment paper or use a silicone mold, pour in the mixture and level the surface. Tap the pan to release any air bubbles and refrigerate for a couple of hours.
Carefully unmold onto a plate and remove the parchment paper (if using a silicone mold, dip it for a few seconds in water slightly warmer than lukewarm). Decorate with lemon slices, smoked salmon, chopped pistachios, mint leaves and pomegranate seeds for color, then bring to the table.
Slice with a smooth-bladed knife, dipping it in hot water between slices for perfect cuts.
The salmon bavarois keeps for up to three days in the coldest part of the refrigerator, well sealed in an airtight container, so you can prepare it in advance.
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