Consuming Passions - Worldwide Events Managers

Sugar-cured salmon on mash

Serves: 4

Notes

Although this dish may also be prepared without the sugar curing, the simple process does lift the dish into the realms of sublime perfection.

Ingredients

• 1 piece of salmon fillet app. 600g
• 350g granulated sugar
• 450g rock salt
• 750g potatoes
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp grated nutmeg
• 1 Tbsp chopped chives or spring onions (green part)
• 30g butter
• 2 tsp horseradish cream (or more, to taste)
• 3 Tbsp Chardonnay or other white wine
• 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 2 Tbsp mirin (sweet rice wine)

Method

Check that there are no bones in the salmon fillet. Remove with tweezers. Combine sugar and salt. Place a third of the mixture in a glass or ceramic dish and lay the salmon on top. Cover with remaining sugar/salt mixture, packing it round the salmon. Cover with cling film. Place another dish on top and put a weight in the dish (a brick is ideal). Refrigerate 8 hours or overnight to lightly cure the fish. Before cooking, remove the sugar/salt mixture from the salmon, wash it with cold water and dry with paper towel. Cut into four pieces and it is ready to cook. Leave at room temperature until cooking time. Peel the potatoes and simmer in lightly salted water until thoroughly cooked – but not falling apart. Mash potatoes with horseradish, butter, pepper and nutmeg. Pan fry salmon in olive oil for a minute each side. Remove to a warm place. Deglaze the pan with wine, balsamic vinegar and mirin allowing it to reduce for to a thick syrup. Serve salmon on mash mountain, pour over vinous syrup and garnish with chopped chives or spring onion.