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Salmon Rillettes

"Some people don't bother with a starter, given the amount of food to come. I quite like having something simple, such as smoked salmon on black bread or potted shrimps on toast, to hand round with drinks in case lunch is late, but if you want a starter at the table, do keep it simple and light. The advantage of these salmon rillettes is that they can be prepared earlier. The flavour improves if they are made two to three days beforehand and kept covered in the fridge. To avoid the rigmarole of making toast in a busy kitchen, serve it with oatcakes or pumpernickel".  CLARISSA DICKSON WRIGHT
Serves 6-8

225g (8oz) cooked salmon, flaked
175g (6oz) butter, softened
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Juice of 1 lemon
Cayenne pepper

Mix the salmon and butter together, trying not to mush the fish.

Season well, add most of the lemon juice and put in ramekins.

Serve with fruit chutney with a little cayenne and a touch more lemon juice. Avoid at all costs a salad garnish - it's the wrong time of year. A few chicory leaves or a couple of celery stalks go nicely.

Pheasant and Pickled Walnut Terrine

From CLARISSA DICKSON WRIGHT

1 pheasant
1/2 bottle red vermouth
1 pound streaky bacon rashers
Salt
Black pepper, freshly ground
1 jar pickled walnuts, sliced

Remove the meat from the pheasant. Chop into strips and marinate in the red vermouth overnight.

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

Line a terrine mold (or meatloaf tin) with bacon. Stretch the bacon using a knife to make it easier to line the terrine. Drain the pheasant meat and arrange half in the mold. Season with salt and pepper. Put a layer of walnuts on top and fill the rest of the mold with the pheasant. Season. Cover with bacon.

Set the mold in a bain marie and cook in the preheated oven 45 minutes.

When cooked, ease the terrine away from sides of the mold and leave to cool in the mold. Turn out for serving.