Heidi's Recipe

Mascarpone Goat Cheese Smoked Salmon Torta

Category: Cheese

1/4 c salted pistachios
6 oz mascarpone or cream cheese
6 oz goat cheese
white pepper, to taste
olive oil, as needed
1/2 c smoked salmon
baguette, in 1/4" thick slices

Bring cheeses to room temp.
Toast pistachios in dry pan med-low 5 min.
Pour onto a kitchen towel, fold towel over, let cool 3 min.
Rub vigorously inside towel to remove skins.
Shake in a colander over sink for skins to fall through.
Chop nuts into pieces. Set aside.
Combine cheeses. Season with white pepper; stir until smooth.
Line a deep rounded bowl with plastic wrap, letting edges hang over sides.
Lightly oil the wrap. Spoon one-third the mixture into bowl.
Using an oiled tablespoon, pack it down firmly.
Finely chop and measure 1/2c salmon; spread it evenly over the cheese leveling top.
Spoon in another third of the cheese, packing it down firmly.
Sprinkle most the pistachios over the cheese, reserving some for top.
Spoon in the remaining cheese, packing it down firmly and leveling the top.
Cover with the overlapping wrap; refrigerate 2-24 hours.
Preheat an oven to 350F.
Place baguette slices in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Toast in oven 5 min.
Turn slices over, toast the other side until crisp edges but soft in the center, 5 min more. Transfer to racks to cool.
Uncover the torta and unmold it onto a serving plate.
Sprinkle pistachios on top.
Let the torta stand room temp 1 hour. WS