Clementine and gin-cured salmon
This festive cured salmon is served with homemade pickle and whipped crème fraiche. Allow plenty of time, as the salmon takes 2 days to cure and the pickle needs to be made a day ahead.
Ingredients
For the pickle liquor
- 200ml/7fl oz Chardonnay white wine vinegar
- 200g/7oz caster sugar
- 1 red chilli
- 1 tsp coriander seeds
For the vegetables
- 8 baby carrots, peeled and sliced in half lengthways
- 8 radishes, thinly sliced
- ½ cucumber, roughly chopped
- 1 small red onion, halved and pulled into petals
- 1 pomegranate seeds removed
For the salmon
- 125g/4½oz smoked flaked sea salt
- 125g/4½oz flaked sea salt
- 250g/9oz soft brown sugar
- 70ml/2½fl oz gin
- 3 clementines, juice and zest
- 10 black peppercorns, crushed
- 1kg/2lb 4oz salmon fillet
To serve
- 200g/7oz crème fraîche
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- lovage oil
Method
To make the pickling liquor, place the ingredients along with 200ml/7fl oz of water in a saucepan and bring to the boil, remove from the heat and allow to cool.
Mix the vegetables together in a non-reactive tray and pour the liquor over the vegetables. Cover and leave at room temperature for a day, then transfer to the fridge, where they will keep for about a month.
To make the salmon, combine the salts, sugar, gin and clementine juice and zest in a bowl and add the peppercorns.
Using a sharp knife, score the salmon in four places to allow the cure to penetrate.
Place a third of the salt mixture on a tray and place the fish on top and cover with the remainder of the mixture. Cover and store in the fridge. After 24 hours, turn the fish over and leave for a further 24 hours.
Rinse the salmon under cold, running water and pat dry. Allow to stand in the fridge for an hour before slicing the salmon 5mm/¼ in thick on a ‘D cut’ (from the back to the belly in such a way that you can layer the sliced on top of each other to recreate the look of an uncut side of salmon).
To serve, drain some of the pickled vegetables and arrange them on a plate next to the salmon slices. Spoon some crème fraîche onto the plate and create a well in the top. Drizzle some lovage oil into the well.