Nick Buglione gets ‘all Raymond Blanc’ with a slab of salmon
Curing salmon is surprisingly easy, you don’t need fancy ingredients or equipment. You can experiment with your own flavourings, serve in slices, in sandwiches or for a slightly flashy festive starter, try this gravlax-style salmon tartare. Other options for flavouring (I’ve used dill)? Anything from beetroot to sloe gin…
Ingredients
For the cured salmon:
300-400g salmon (skin removed)
3 tbsp salt
2 tbsp caster sugar
1 tsp fresh ground black pepper
2 sprigs dill, chopped (or flavouring of your choice)
Zest from 1 lemon
For the tartare:
30g shallots/white onion, finely chopped
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp soured cream
Pinch of cayenne pepper
Horseradish sauce
Pickled cucumbers
Lumpfish caviar (optional)
Method
For the cured salmon:
Mix the salt, sugar, lemon zest and dill (optional).
Rub into both sides of the salmon.
Place in tin foil or clingfilm and leave in fridge for 1-2 days, draining liquid away occasionally
Remove and rinse well under the tap, pat dry and place back in fridge
For the tartare:
Mix the shallots, mustard, cream and cayenne pepper.
Cut the cured salmon into small cubes (I do them roughly 1cm x 1cm) and stir in.
Serve with cubed pickled cucumber and a sauce of some of the remaining sour cream and horseradish (to taste).
Pimp it? Raymond Blanc serves a garnish of lumpfish caviar, available from most supermarkets, for an optional luxury twist.
