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Beetroot-cured salmon with horseradish and tarragon cream
Serves 10 Starters and mains
Ingredients
- 2 x 500g salmon fillets
- 100g sea salt flakes
- 100g unrefined sugar
- zest 1 lemon
- 1tbsp vodka
- 1 small raw beetroot (about 150g), peeled and finely grated
- 250g crème fraîche
- 2tbsp freshly grated horseradish or creamed horseradish sauce
- 2tbsp fresh tarragon, chopped
- rye or soda bread, to serve
Method
Place a fillet of fish skin side down in a plastic container. Mix the salt, sugar, lemon zest, vodka, grated beetroot and 2tsp of ground pepper together. Spread over the salmon, then place the other fillet skin side up over the top.
Wrap the fish in cling film and using a small board weighed down with a heavy weight (such as a pestle and mortar), place in the fridge. After 12 hours, pour away the liquid and turn the fish over. Return it to the fridge and replace the weight.
After a further 24 hours, pour away any more liquid, and scrape off the beetroot. Sandwich together, wrap and return to fridge, again weighed down, for a final 24 hours.
Before serving, combine the crème fraîche, horseradish, tarragon and a little salt and pepper in a bowl. Very thinly slice the salmon with the knife slanting across the fish, down towards the tail. Serve on slices of rye bread with some of the crème fraîche and a few extra sprigs of tarragon.
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