Your post-holiday secret weapon: mousse and wine

A wise woman once wrote, “You don’t always have to be doing something. You can just be, and that’s plenty.” Her name is Alice Walker.

That idea seems so delicious this time of year when many of us are run ragged. With that in mind, here’s a handy little something to help you out. It’s an easy snack to make and serve with a glass of wine when friends drop by — the fancy without the fuss. It’s also something to give yourself when you just want to be — but properly fed and watered.

This easy snack is smoked salmon mousse. It’s easy to make and the recipe I’m about to share is just shockingly good. I make a batch every year around this time and dole it out in pretty little ramekins. Then I serve this whipped up wonder with water crackers when I’m feeling lazy or with thin baguette slices, buttered and broiled and sprinkled with minced parsley when I’ve got a bit of time. Served with a glass of sparkling or still wine — white or rosé — this snack makes the world drop away.

So here’s how you make it. Gather your ingredients, which include about 225 grams of cream cheese, 170 grams of smoked salmon, three heaping tablespoons of sour cream, the juice of one lemon and 120 ml of whipping cream.

Cut the cream cheese into pieces and put them in the bowl of a food processor. Slice the smoked salmon into thumb-size lengths and pop them in too. Then add the sour cream and lemon juice.

Whiz the food processor until the mixture is uniform, stopping periodically to scrape down the sides with a spatula. You should end up with a thick, creamy paste of uniform consistency. Once you’ve succeeded, set that aside and turn your attention to whipping the cream.

Pour your whipping cream in a mixing bowl and whip it with an electric mixer on high speed until peaks form when you lift the beaters. This should take several minutes.

Then slowly fold the salmon and cream cheese mixture into the whipped cream until thoroughly combined. Be sure to use a folding motion to maintain the loft of the whipped cream.

Transfer the whole lot into a shallow dish if you plan to serve a group, or portion it out into smaller ramekins for cute single servings. Press plastic wrap to the surface and chill it for at least two hours.

Honestly, this recipe is dead easy but delicious. And it’s marvellous paired with a glass of wine. Stony whites work well, as do elegant sparkling styles. But you can get away with pretty much any dry white or rosé. Like I said, fancy without the fuss.

If you’re stumped, here are four wines you can count on to pair with the mousse, starting with something local.

The 2020 Wayne Gretzky Estates Founders Series Pinot Grigio, VQA Niagara Peninsula (LCBO $14.95, the Wine Shop $14.75) offers light, easy refreshment at an affordable price. And its flavour profile complements the salmon mousse with aplomb.

In the glass, it exudes subtle scents of lemon zest. Then it washes over the palate with breezy flavours of creamy lemon curd and cooked apple, all polished to a high sheen. Each sip lingers on the finish leaving you ready for the next bite of you know what. Score: 89

If bubbly is your thing, the 2020

Juliet Prosecco Rosé DOC from the Veneto region of Italy (LCBO $14.95) does not disappoint. Each sip tastes brisk, cool and effervescent. A kiss of sweetness accentuates the pear-scented fruit and lends easy-drinking appeal. This bottle, like all Prosecco Rosé, gets its pink tint from Pinot Noir. And Pinot Noir and salmon is a classic match. So there’s that too. Here, that splash of Pinot Noir adds a whisper of cranberry-violet that comes to the fore on the finish. Easy elegance at an affordable price. Score: 91

For bubbly that’s bone dry, reach for the NV Freixenet Cordon Negro Brut Cava from Spain (LCBO $13.45 till Jan. 2, regular $14.95). It’s mineral-driven and restrained with quiet suggestions of cool clay and white orchard fruit with a touch of salinity somewhere. Despite this being produced in massive volumes and sold at a very reasonable price, this is a well-made wine with enough complexity, concentration and length to satisfy discerning palates. Score: 90

If you want to splash out for a real treat, the 2019 Joseph Drouhin Drouhin-Vaudon Chablis from Burgundy, France (LCBO $33.10) is worth every cent. It’s a classic expression of unwooded Chardonnay and tastes like wet stones, lemon zest and struck steel — all referential and intriguing — before tapering to a long almond-nougat finish.

This bone-dry thriller is outstanding with the mousse and pulls you straight into the now. Score: 93

If you’re feeling knackered and looking for something to slow time and let you just be, whip up a batch of this mousse and serve it with a glass of wine. You’ll be glad you did.

Carolyn Hammond Toronto-based wine freelance writer Evans contributing is and a a the Star. columnist Wineries for occasionally sponsor segments on her YouTube series yet they have no role in the selection of the wines she chooses to review or her opinions of those wines. Reach her via email: carolyn@carolynevanshammond.com.