Curing the salmon with chilli gives it a lovely background heat which is then complimented with lightly pickled ingredients and the sweetness of elderflower gel. In the photo, I served mine with a little pinch of friend shallots for a bit of crunchAgar agar can be bought from most supermarkets and will be in the same section from which you buy gelatine. I have found a truffle slicer a really useful tool in the kitchen. I use it to slice small veg like radish to a beautiful paper thin thickness
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Ingredients
Salmon
500gsalmon filletskin removed
100gsea salt
100glight brown sugar
150ml white wine
3hot red chilli
Elderflower gel
250mlelderflower cordial
1/2tspagar agar
garnishes
100gpickled ginger I use Saitaku sushi pickled ginger
1/4cucumberpeeled
1tsp rice vinegar
pinchwhite pepper
6 radish
1tspsesame seeds
Micro herbs or salad leaves
Equipment
Truffle slicer
Small Blender or Nutribullet
Instructions
To cure salmon, combine the salt and sugar and sprinkle on the salmon on both sides and press onto the flesh. Place in a snug container. In a blender, blitz the chilli with white wine and pour into the container. Cover and cure for 8 hours. After 8 hours, remove from the cure, lightly rinse the salmon under cold water and pat dry. Keep in the fridge until ready to serve.
Elderflower gel
In a small pan add the elderflower cordial and sprinkle the agar agar powder, heat to 90C stirring all the time so it dissolves. Once it reaches 90C remove from the heat and pour into a bowl. It will set very quickly compared to gelatine. When it's set, put into a blender or nutri bullet and whizz until you have a gel consistency. I put mine in a plastic squeezey bottle but you can keep in a bowl to spoon onto the dish. Store in the fridge.
Finishing the dish
Cut the cucumber into a small dice. Drizzle with rice vinegar and a pinch of white pepper and set aside while you finish the dish.
Slice the radish very thinly. Slice the salmon and divide between 6 plates, top with slices of pickled ginger, radish, lightly pickled cucumber, a sprinkle of sesame seeds and drizzle or dollop the elderflower gel over the salmon. Finish with a few appropriate micro herbs or salad leaves. (I used pink radish)