Maison Bâtard’s cured and smoked king salmon with gribiche sauce

Ingredients

• 50 gm wood-fired smoking chips
• Extra-virgin olive oil, for brushing
• 1 bunch dill, leaves picked and finely chopped
• Crème fraîche, to serve
• CURED SALMON
• 400 gm fine cooking salt
• 400 gm caster sugar
• 1 bunch dill, coarsely chopped
• 600 gm king salmon fillet, skin on, pin-boned
• GRIBICHE
• 6 eggs
• 50 gm cornichons, chopped
• 50 gm drained capers, chopped
• 30 gm Kewpie mayonnaise
• 2 golden shallots, finely diced

Instructions

1. 1

   1: For cured salmon, combine salt, sugar and dill in a bowl. Place half mixture in a non-reactive container, place salmon on top, cover with remaining curing mixture and refrigerate to cure (36 hours).

2. 2

   2: For gribiche sauce, boil eggs in a saucepan of simmering water until hard-boiled (12 minutes). Refresh in iced water. Peel; separate yolks and whites, then dice whites. Place egg yolk in a bowl, mash with a fork. Stir in egg whites and remaining ingredients to combine. Season to taste. Cover and refrigerate until required.

3. 3

   3: To smoke salmon, brush off curing mixture, rinse under cold running water and pat dry with paper towel. Set aside. Heat a barbecue to high. Place smoking chips in a casserole or flame-proof saucepan. Place casserole on barbecue. Using a blowtorch, ignite chips until they begin to flame and smoke (2-3 minute). Remove casserole from barbecue. Place a small cake rack on smoking chips and place salmon on top. Cover with a tight-fitting lid or two layers of foil and stand at room temperature to cold smoke (30 minutes).

4. 4

   4: Transfer salmon to a board skin-side down, brush flesh with olive oil, scatter with dill to completely coat. Thinly slice salmon and arrange on a large platter with crème fraîche and gribiche on the side.