This delicious recipe is from my favourite chef, Jacques Pépin. If you are a foodie like me, I suggest reading his memoir, The Apprentice: My Life in the Kitchen. It is well written and engaging.
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons minced fresh chives
4 ounces soft goat cheese (about 8 tablespoons)
4 large slices smoked salmon (about 6 ounces total), cut in half
8 very thin slices red onion
8 thin slices peeled apple (I like Granny Smith, but any apple will do.)
About 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Garnish:
2 tablespoons drained capers
1/3 cup diced (1/4-inch) peeled cucumber
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 tablespoons good olive oil
Toast or baguette slices, for serving
Method:
Line four glass dishes with a 3/4-cup capacity, such as custard cups, with plastic wrap. Layer the ingredients into each dish as follows: divide the chives among the bowls, then spoon 1 tablespoon of the goat cheese into each bowl. Press half a slice of the salmon on top and add 1 slice of the onion and 1 slice of the apple. Sprinkle a little of the black pepper over the apple, then press the other half of the salmon slice on top. Add another tablespoon of the goat cheese to each dish, then a slice of the onion and a slice of the apple. Finish each timbale with a dash of black pepper on top. Cover the dishes with plastic wrap and refrigerate until serving time.
For the garnish: Mix the capers, cucumber, salt, and olive oil in a bowl. At serving time, unmold each timbale onto a plate, and sprinkle the garnish around the timbales. Serve with toast or baguette slices.
Note: The timbales can be prepared a few hours ahead and garnished at the last moment.