An important note about salmon. The advice being given now about making any raw fish dish is that you should freeze it first to kill any parasites. I’ve been lucky to have some top chefs visit us and their advice is the same, even with the best quality salmon, you need to freeze and then defrost. I know that this is lightly cured but it’s far better to be safe.
If you are planning on making this for guests, ALLOW 36 HOURS FOR FREEZING, DEFROSTING AND CURING YOUR SALMON.
½ tbsp. Maldon sea salt
½ tbsp. caster sugar
1 lemon
2 tsp chopped dill
1 tsp lightly crushed fennel seeds
Freshly ground black pepper
300g salmon fillet, skinned and pin-boned
Zest the lemon and keep the whole fruit to use later in the recipe.
In a bowl mix together the salt, sugar, lemon zest and dill crushed fennel seeds and pepper. Have a piece of tin foil ready in a dish large enough in which to sit the salmon, rub the mixture into both sides of the salmon, lie on the foil, loosely wrap to make a parcel and chill in the fridge for 12 hours
Remove the salmon from the fridge and rinse under cold water then pat dry with a paper towel. You can keep the salmon in the fridge until you are ready to use it (no more than 72 hours)
Classic Salmon Tartare
DRESSING
Your cured salmon
2 tbsp Banana shallots, very finely diced
1 tbsp sour cream
½ tsp Dijon Mustard
1 tsp lemon juice
1 pinch cayenne pepper
Juice half the lemon and save the rest for the garnish. Dice the salmon into 1cm cubes and put in a bowl
Mix all the ingredients together then add this to the diced salmon and give it all good stir making sure it is all coated. Keep in the fridge for up to 6 hours until you are ready to serve.
Garnishes
The lemon you zested for the cure
10cm piece of cucumber
1 tsp Maldon sea salt
2 tsp rapeseed oil
1 tsp white balsamic
Grind of white pepper
60g creamed horseradish
30g crème fraiche
2 to 3 pinches of salt
a pinch of caster sugar
1 tsp lemon juice
Micro herbs, cress or dill fronds
4 small teaspoons of caviar (the supermarket lumpfish is fine unless you are Rockerfeller)
LEMON – Using the reserved half of the lemon, with a sharp knife remove the skin and pith keeping the lemon half in one piece. Next, very carefully so you don’t cut yourself, cut out each segment from so you end up with little slivers without the pith. Halve these segments and reserve for garnish.
CUCUMBER – peel the cucumber and cut into 1cm dice using only the flesh and not the seeds. Line a plate or tray with baking parchment, spread the cucumber cubes and sprinkle with sea salt and put in the freezer for an hour or so.. Once frozen, put in a bag and either store in the freezer or use immediately.
Allow the cucumber to defrost. Whisk the rapeseed oil with white balsamic and white pepper to make a dressing. Add the defrosted cucumber, cover and keep in the fridge until you are ready to use.
HORSERADISH CREAM – Mix the horseradish cream, créme fraiche, couple of pinches of salt and a pinch of caster sugar and lemon juice.
TO SERVE – Put a chefs ring in the centre of a plate. Divide the salmon into 4 and press it down in the ring with the back of a spoon. Remove the rings then arrange the cucumber, lemon segments and a few dots of horseradish cream, a dollop on caviar on each and finish with the herbs.
- 300 g salmon fillet skin removed and pin boned
- 1/2 tbsp maldon sea salt
- 1/2 tbsp caster sugar
- 1 lemon
- 2 tsp dill roughly chopped
- 1 tsp fennel seeds lightly crushed
- freshly ground black pepper
Dressing
- 2 tbsp banana shallot very finely diced
- 1 tbsp sour cream
- 1/2 tsp dijon mustard
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- pinch cayenne pepper
Garnishes
- 1/4 cucumber
- 1 tsp maldon sea salt
- 2 tsp rapeseed oil
- 1 tsp white balsamic vinegar
- pinch of white pepper
- 60 g horseradish cream
- 30 g creme fraiche
- pinch of salt
- pinch caster sugar
- 1 tsp lemon juice
To serve
- Micro herbs, dill fronds or cress
- 4 tsp lumpfish caviar
Instructions
Curing
- Zest the lemon and save the fruit to use later as a garnish.
- In a bowl mix together the salt, sugar, lemon zest and dill crushed fennel seeds and pepper. Have a piece of tin foil ready in a dish large enough in which to sit the salmon, rub the mixture into both sides of the salmon, lie on the foil, loosely wrap to make a parcel and chill in the fridge for 12 hours
- Remove the salmon from the fridge and rinse under cold water then pat dry with a paper towel. You can keep the salmon in the fridge until you are ready to use it (no more than 72 hours)
Dressing
- Juice half the lemon and set aside. Save the rest for the garnish. Dice the salmon into 1cm cubes and put in a bowl
- Mix all the ingredients together then add this to the diced salmon and give it all good stir making sure it is all coated. Keep in the fridge for up to 6 hours until you are ready to serve.
Garnishes
- LEMON - Using the reserved half of the lemon, with a sharp knife remove the skin and pith keeping the lemon half in one piece. Next, very carefully so you don’t cut yourself, cut out each segment from so you end up with little slivers without the pith. Halve these segments and reserve for garnish.
- CUCUMBER – peel the cucumber and cut into 1cm dice using only the flesh and not the seeds. Line a plate or tray with baking parchment, spread the cucumber cubes and sprinkle with sea salt and put in the freezer for an hour or so.. Once frozen, put in a bag and either store in the freezer or use immediately.Allow the cucumber to defrost. Whisk the rapeseed oil, white balsamic and white pepper to make a dressing. Add the defrosted cucumber, cover and keep in the fridge until you are ready to use.
- HORSERADISH CREAM – Mix the horseradish cream, créme fraiche, couple of pinches of salt and a pinch of caster sugar and lemon juice.
To serve
- Put a chefs ring in the centre of a plate. Divide the salmon into 4 and press it down in the ring with the back of a spoon. Remove the rings then arrange the cucumber, lemon segments and a few dots of horseradish cream, a teaspoon of caviar on each and finish with the herbs.
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