“Dori’s Salmon Tartlets” by Astrid Tuttle Winegar
And now we will continue with the savory dishes served at Bilbo’s grand, but down-to-earth, tea party for his dwarf friends. Dori wore a purple hood and played the flute. Perhaps he performed in a trio with Bifur and Bofur (both of whom wore yellow hoods, incidentally), who both played clarinets. Dori is another rather non-descript dwarf who apparently settled in Erebor, or the Lonely Mountain, after the Smaug incident and that troublesome war. Better Erebor than Moria. Let’s assume he lived a long life and that his beard grew ever longer.
Be sure to follow the link to my blog for the “Savory Seasoning” recipe!
“Dori’s Salmon Tartlets”
¼ cup dry white wine, such as Chardonnay
1 tablespoon lemon juice
¼ teaspoon plus ¼ teaspoon Savory Seasoning
6 ounces boneless, skinless salmon fillet
1 cup all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon dry dill or 1 tablespoon fresh dill, minced
½ cup soft salted butter
¼ cup 1% milk
3 ounces light cream cheese (Neufchâtel), softened
1 extra large egg
2 tablespoons heavy cream
Dill Mayonnaise, recipe below
In a small skillet, combine the wine, lemon juice, and ¼ teaspoon Savory Seasoning. Place salmon in pan. Bring to a boil, then simmer on medium heat for 5 minutes. Turn salmon over, and simmer another 5 minutes, or until the fish is fully cooked yet still moist in the center. Turn off heat and leave the salmon in the pan.
Preheat oven to 350°. Liberally coat 2 miniature muffin pans with cooking spray. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, salt, dill, butter, and milk with a hand mixer on low speed until fully combined. Knead a few times on a lightly floured surface. Divide dough into 24 balls and place one in each cup. Use floured fingers to press dough all the way up the sides. Bake at 350° for 10 minutes. Remove and maintain oven temperature. Use a shot glass or a rounded spoon to press the dough down.
Meanwhile, in the same bowl (you don’t have to wash the bowl or the beaters) beat the cream cheese until smooth then beat in the egg, cream, and ¼ teaspoon Savory Seasoning until fully mixed. Fill each cup equally with cream cheese mixture (approximately 1½ teaspoons in each cup). Using a fork, flake the salmon into 24 mostly equal portions and place one in each cup on top of the cheese. Bake 20 minutes. Cool 10 minutes. Use a sharp knife around the edges to ease removal from pans. Top each with a scant teaspoon of Dill Mayonnaise. Cover and refrigerate leftovers. Makes 24.
Dill Mayonnaise:
½ cup mayonnaise
2 teaspoons lemon juice
½ teaspoon dry dill or 1 tablespoon fresh dill, minced
¼ teaspoon Savory Seasoning
Whisk together all ingredients in a small bowl. Cover and refrigerate leftovers. Makes ½ cup.
Vegetarian Option—Replace the salmon with 1½ cups of fresh asparagus, sliced into ¼” bits. Simmer asparagus for only 3 minutes. Set aside to drain well as you prepare everything else and follow all other directions, placing about a teaspoon of asparagus in each cup.
These are known as Callista’s Salmon Tartlets in my cookbook.
Astrid Tuttle Winegar
Astrid Tuttle Winegar is the author of Cooking for Halflings & Monsters: 111 Comfy, Cozy Recipes for Fantasy-Loving Souls, which is currently available exclusively in e-book form on the Amazon Kindle, but will soon be released by Oloris Publishing! Stay tuned for details. For now, she is mostly telling a culinary Middle-earth story here on Legendarium. Astrid has loved C. S. Lewis since childhood, J. R. R. Tolkien since middle and high school, all Star things, both Trek and Wars, all things Whedon, and many other things besides… She lives in the enchanted city of Albuquerque, New Mexico, with her husband and dog. She blogs occasionally at . You can check out (and like!) her Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/astridtuttlewinegar or visit her Twitter feed at https://twitter.com/astridwinegar.
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