Ingredients
| 1 loaf brioche, sliced, crusts removed, gently toasted | |
| 250g crème fraîche | |
| ⅓ cup finely chopped fresh herbs (we used chives and a little dill) | |
| lemon juice, to taste | |
| a side of AORAKI Pōhutukawa Smoked Salmon, broken into chunks | |
| 250g cream cheese, softened (add more if you wish to get fancy with piping) | |
| flaked sea salt & freshly ground pepper | |
| fresh herbs (we used dill sprigs), sliced red onion, sliced lemon, capers, caper berries and salmon malossol caviar, to decorate |
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Instructions
| 1. | Lightly spray mist a 19cm springform tin with cooking spray (this helps the plastic wrap to stick) and generously line with plastic wrap, leaving excess hanging over sides. |
| 2. | Gently press slices of toasted brioche into the base, trimming pieces to fit to make a neat single layer. |
| 3. | Put the crème fraîche into a large bowl, add the chopped herbs and a squeeze of lemon juice and mix together. |
| 4. | Add chunks of the salmon to the crème fraîche mixture, gently fold together and season to taste. |
| 5. | (This recipe is very fluid so feel free to add more crème fraîche, lemon or herbs or even finely chopped red onion and capers here to suit your personal taste.) |
| 6. | Spoon half the mixture on top of the toasted brioche base, smoothing with the back of a spoon to neatly cover the whole base. |
| 7. | Top with another layer of toasted brioche and repeat with the rest of the crème fraîche/salmon mixture. |
| 8. | Top with a final layer of toasted brioche. |
| 9. | Fold the excess plastic wrap over to cover, gently pressing down on the layers as you would for a terrine. |
| 10. | Lay a plate on the top, weigh it down slightly and refrigerate for at least two hours or overnight. |
| 11. | When firm, unwrap the cake and carefully place it on a serving platter. |
| 12. | Using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, or old-school muscles and a bowl and wooden spoon, beat the softened cream cheese until slightly fluffy and spreadable. |
| 13. | Using a palette knife or flat spatula, smooth the cream cheese over the entire surface of the cake and decorate the top with your chosen additions. |
| 14. | The cream cheese would be very easy to pipe, so you could get fancy with pretty piping here, too. |
| 15. | Keep the iced cake in the fridge, bringing it out an hour before serving. |
| 16. | Cut slices with a sharp knife, wiping the blade clean between each slice. |
| 17. | This will keep for a day or two in the fridge, loosely covered in plastic wrap to stop it drying out. |