CURED IRISH SALMON, AVOCADO CREAM, PICKLED VEGETABLES, HORSERADISH MAYONNAISE

Serves 4 INGREDIENTS:

1kg 50g salmon sea salt fillet 50g sugar 50g fresh dill 1 tbsp white peppercorns 1 orange (juiced and keep rind) Vodka (optional)

METHOD:

Place salmon in deep tray. Mix the salt, sugar, rind of an orange and chopped dill. Sprinkle over the salmon. Cover salmon and refrigerate overnight. Wash off marinade and dry off the salmon.

AVOCADO CREAM

1 ripe hass avocado (skinned, halved, stone retained)

2 tbsp crème fraîche

Juice of half a lemon

Salt and freshly ground white pepper

METHOD:

Blend the avocado, crème fraîche and lemon juice together in a food processor. Season to taste, then transfer to a bowl and pop the avocado stone into the middle (this stops the avocado from going brown). Seal with cling film and refrigerate.

PICKLED VEGETABLES

8 peeled baby carrots 1 beetroot 8 pearl or baby onions 4 baby fennel or 1 large cut into 4 ½ cucumber (de-seeded and diced) 1 tbsp fennel seeds

1 cup of white wine vinegar

½ cup of sugar

1 tbsp of whole star anise

4 bay leaves

METHOD:

In a pot simmer the beetroot for about 45 minutes. In a separate pot add carrots, baby onions, baby fennel and cucumber and bring to the boil. Pour into a bowl of water and ice. Quarter the beetroot and place it in its own pickling liquid. In a saucepan add 1 cup of white wine vinegar, ½ cup of sugar, bay leaf, fennel seed, star anise and simmer. Take off the heat and let it cool. Slice the baby onions in half and add them to the pickling liquid. Also add the carrots, baby fennel and cucumber. For the horseradish mayonnaise, mix 4 tablespoons of mayonnaise with 1 tablespoon of horseradish (freshly grated or jar). Slice salmon and serve with the pickled vegetables, avocado cream and horseradish mayonnaise.