Marcus’s sensational salmon
A flavour-packed starter to impress your guests from Masterchef’s Marcus Wareing
Quick gin-cured salmon with horseradish & parsnip
SERVES 6-8 PREP 15 mins plus curing COOK 10 mins EASY
10g butter
1 tbsp olive oil
2 small parsnips, peeled and grated (250g unprepared weight) 25ml milk
1 tbsp horseradish sauce
2 tbsp crème fraîche
150g piece of boneless and skinless salmon fillet
1 tbsp rock salt or flaky sea salt ½ orange, zested
25ml gin
3 slices pumpernickel bread, toasted
2 tbsp chopped dill
1 Heat the butter and oil in a medium saucepan over a medium heat. When hot, add the grated parsnip. Season well and cook for around 5 mins until golden and soft. Add the milk and heat for 2 mins. Transfer to a small blender or food processor. Add the horseradish and crème fraîche and blitz until smooth.
2 Slice the salmon as thinly as possible across the fillet (against the grain), then lay the slices in the bottom of a shallow dish. Mix the rock salt and orange zest together, then rub it onto the salmon. Leave to sit for 10 mins, then add the gin and leave for a further 10 mins. Rinse the cure off the salmon under cold running water, then pat the salmon slices dry with kitchen paper.
3 Cut the pumpernickel bread into rectangles approximately 6 x 2cm. You should get around 20 slices. Spread the parsnip cream onto the slices of bread. Place a piece of salmon on top and finish with the chopped dill.
PER SERVING (8) 163 kcals • fat 10g • saturates 4g • carbs 10g • sugars 2g • fibre 3g • protein 6g • salt 0.9g