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Donal Skehan
Honey Mustard Beetroot Gravadlax | DonalSkehan.com, Scandinavian inspired starter.
  • light-meals

Honey Mustard Beetroot Gravadlax

December 05

If you are looking for a slightly different starter this Christmas, this salmon gravadlax recipe is an ideal solution and can all be made well in advance, leaving very little to do last minute.

 

 

  • serves Serves 12
  • time 120 mins (marinading time 24h)

Method

  1. 1. For the beetroot cure, blitz the beetroot to a smooth puree and put in bowl. Combine the dill, sea salt, caster sugar, honey, black pepper and mustard. Roll out a large piece of cling film and sprinkle the base with 1/3 of the beetroot mixture.
  2. 2. Place one side of the salmon skin side down on the beetroot mixture and top half the remaining mixture. Place the second fillet on top, flesh side down and sprinkle with the remaining dill mixture. Wrap the salmon tightly with the cling film and give it an extra layer if you need to.
  3. 3. Place the wrapped parcel in a high-sided dish and weight it down with a plate and some full cans or whatever heavy item you have to hand. Leave the salmon to cure in the fridge for up to 5 days turning half way through. The dish will fill with juices but don’t be too concerned about draining them until you are ready to serve.
  4. 4. For the cucumber pickle, in a bowl mix together the sugar and vinegar until the sugar has dissolved. Mix in the salt and shallots and then add the cucumber slices. Cover with cling film and leave in the fridge for at least 2 hours or overnight.
  5. 5. For the dill crème fraiche, mix the dill, crème fraiche, lemon juice and black pepper in a bowl. Cover with cling film and leave in the fridge for at least 2 hours or overnight.
  6. 6. When you are ready to serve, remove the package from the salmon and wipe clean of the juices. Separate the sides and slice thinly with a large knife.
  7. 7. Place Swedish crisp bread on each serving plate and top with the slices of beetroot gravadlax and dollops of the dill crème fraiche and a small mound of cucumber pickle to each one. Garnish with the watercress and dill sprigs to serve.

Ingredients

2 halves of salmon fillets, scaled

For beetroot cure:

2 large raw beetroot, peeled and quartered

2 good handfuls of fresh dill, roughly chopped

6 tbsp sea salt

9 tbsp caster sugar

1 tbsp honey

2 tbsp freshly ground black pepper

1 tbsp wholegrain mustard

For the cucumber pickle:

4 tbsp caster sugar

4 tbsp cider vinegar

1 cucumber, thinly sliced

1⁄2 tbsp salt

1 small shallot, very thinly sliced

For the dill crème fraiche:

Good handful of fresh dill finely chopped

200g crème fraiche

Juice of 1⁄2 lemon

Good grinding freshly ground black pepper

Swedish crisp bread, to serve

Fresh watercress and dill sprigs, to garnish

You'll Need

Food processor

Cling film

High-sided dish

Mixing bowl