When I hear the word “napoleon” I never think about the little round man with the funny hat and his hand tucked inside his white shirt. I think about something sweet and layered. I remember my very first walk in New York’s Little Italy, sitting a table, cappuccino in one hand and my other holding this mass of pastry and cream.
This napoleon is not dessert. It’s an appetizer of exceptional elegance. Gillian Duffy, author of Hors d’Oeuvres, wants you to intensely focus on your next dinner party and how it begins. Appetizers should not be a “last minute” idea. Hors d’oeuvres like this one do demand some effort, but they can be assembled over time, in stages, so that you are not appetizer-overwhelmed the afternoon of your event.
Here, the mousse filling can be prepared a day in advance. Bake the pastry several hours in advance and assemble 4-5 hours before serving. That gives your time to chill these napoleons before serving. In fact, you need them cold so they are firm before attempting to cut them.
This recipe uses frozen puff pastry, something we all need to turn to. If the day is cool and dry, you’ll have an easy time. A hot, humid day is day to leave the puff pastry in the freezer. It’s too hard to work with under those conditions, and you have plenty of things to do before your party begins.
This recipe calls for 4 to 5 ounces of skinless smoked trout fillet. That’s the typical yield from a whole 8‑10” smoked trout with the skin and head on. It may be close to a pound when you start trimming, but 4‑5 ounces is just about the real meat yield.
This recipe comes from Hors d’Oeuvres by Gillian Duffy. For a look at a review of this cookbook, just follow this link.
Napoleon of Smoked Trout and Arugula Mousse
Yield: about 60 hors d’oeuvres
Ingredients:
- 1 large bunch arugula, stems removed
- Flour for dusting the work surface
- 1 sheet (8 ounces) frozen puff pastry, defrosted
- 4 to 5 ounces skinless smoked trout fillet
- 1 small shallot, peeled
- 1 pound of cream cheese, softened
Preparation:
Preheat the oven to 375°F.
Bring a large pot of water to the boil. Add the arugula and blanch for 30 seconds, remove, and shock in a bowl of ice water for a few seconds to stop cooking. Squeeze out as much water as possible from the arugula and reserve on paper towels.
Sprinkle flour over the work surface and roll out the puff pastry to a rectangle about 12 by 18 inches and 1/16th inch thick. Place the pastry dough on a 12 by 18 by ½-inch-deep cookie sheet. Chill the dough for 15 minutes in the refrigerator. Prick the dough all over with a fork (this will stop the pastry from rising too much while it cooks), cover with parchment paper, and place another cookie sheet of the same size over the top of the pastry dough. Place in the oven and bake for 15 to 20 minutes until the pastry is golden brown on both sides. Set aside to cool.
Place the trout fillet and shallot in the bowl of a food processor and puree. Add 8 ounces of the cream cheese and continue to puree until blended well. Remove to a bowl. In the food processor, puree the arugula and remaining cream cheese until smooth. Remove to a bowl, cover the 2 bowls, and set in the refrigerator to cool.
Trim the edges of the pastry with a serrated knife, and cut the long side of pastry into 3 equal strips, 12 by 5 ½ inches. With a metal spatula, spread the trout mousse over one strip of pastry. Cover a second strip of pastry with the arugula mousse and stack it on top of the trout mousse. Add the last pastry strip to cover the arugula mousse and press down lightly. Chill the napoleon until the mousses are firm. Cut into 1-inch squares, using a serrated knife.
Source: Hors d’Oeuvres by Gillian Duffy [Morrow, 1998]