Lovage Cured Fillet of Loch Duart Salmon, Sea Herbs, Samphire, Pickled Cucumber & Attilus Royal Oscietra Caviar

Ingredients

• 1 sideline-caught Loch Duart salmon
• 250 gsalt
• 250 gsugar
• 1star anise
• 100 glemon zest
• 5 gwhole white peppercorns
• 100 glovage leaves and stalks
• as neededfeuille de brick pastry
• as neededfree-range egg yolk
• 1 tsponion seeds
• 100 gblanched lovage leaves
• 150 gextra-virgin olive oil
• 150 gsunflower oil
• 2egg yolks
• 1 tspDijon mustard
• 1 tbspcider vinegar
• to tasteseasoning
• as neededoyster leaves
• as neededflowering samphire
• as neededsea purslane
• as neededbronze fennel
• as neededcucumber
• as neededChardonnay vinegar
• as neededAttilus Oscietra caviar

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the cure

   Put all the cure ingredients in a food processor and blitz them together.

2. 2

   Cover the salmon

   Set the salmon on a flat tray lined with greaseproof paper and spread the cure over both sides.

3. 3

   Press and chill

   Massage the cure into the fish, cover it with another sheet of greaseproof paper and weigh it down with a second tray. Refrigerate overnight.

4. 4

   Rinse the cure

   The following day, rinse the cure from the salmon under cold water.

5. 5

   Dry the fish

   Pat both sides with a cloth to remove excess water and leave the fish as dry as possible.

6. 6

   Prepare the pastry

   Separate one sheet of feuille de brick and brush it lightly with egg yolk.

7. 7

   Add onion seeds

   Sprinkle the pastry with onion seeds and place it on a baking tray.

8. 8

   Bake until crisp

   Bake at 190°C for 2–3 minutes with the oven fan switched off.

9. 9

   Cool and shard

   Remove the pastry when ready, cool it on a rack, then break it into shards for garnishing.

10. 10

    Blend lovage oil

    Blanch the lovage leaves in boiling water, add both oils and liquidise with a hand blender. Pass the mixture through muslin.

11. 11

    Set oil aside

    Keep the clear, lovage-scented oil ready to use in the emulsion.

12. 12

    Start the emulsion

    Put the egg yolks, mustard and vinegar in a food processor.

13. 13

    Add lovage oil

    Gradually pour in the prepared lovage oil from a jug, blending as you go, until the emulsion thickens and reaches the desired consistency.

14. 14

    Season with care

    Take care not to split the sauce. Taste it before seasoning, bearing in mind that the salmon is already salty from curing.

15. 15

    Prepare the salad

    Use a mixture of oyster leaf, flowering samphire, sea purslane and bronze fennel.

16. 16

    Wash the leaves

    Pick and wash the leaves and sea herbs, making sure they are fresh.

17. 17

    Pickle the cucumber

    Peel, deseed and cut the cucumber into cubes, then place them in good-quality Chardonnay vinegar and season.

18. 18

    Arrange the plate

    Arrange the salad around cubes of salmon and shards of onion crisp, then finish with the lovage emulsion.

19. 19

    Finish with caviar

    Top each salmon cube with Attilus Oscietra caviar.

What is cured salmon?

Curing salmon with salt and sugar is a preservation technique used in several northern European food traditions; it seasons the fish and firms its texture without cooking it. This version layers in lemon, pepper, star anise and lovage for a fragrant finish.

The plate is assembled with sea herbs, pickled cucumber, crisp pastry, lovage emulsion and caviar. Those accents bring freshness, crunch and richness to the cured fish.

Nutrition and macros by portion

The nutrition label shows one serving as written: 900 calories, 48g protein, 37g carbs, 63g fat.

The salmon supplies most of the protein, while the cure's sugar and the pastry contribute carbohydrates. The oils, egg yolks and caviar add much of the fat, and the cure makes salt a notable part of the dish. Serve with extra fresh leaves or vegetables and keep any additional salty accompaniments modest.

The cure and the fish

Cure mixture: Blitz the listed cure ingredients together so they are evenly combined before spreading them over the salmon.

Salmon: Cover both sides, massage the cure in, then press the fish beneath a second tray and refrigerate overnight. Rinse it thoroughly the next day and pat it dry before cutting into cubes.

Keep the pastry crisp

Egg wash: Brush the pastry lightly with yolk so the onion seeds adhere without soaking the sheet.

Baking: The pastry cooks quickly at 190°C, so watch it closely during the 2–3 minutes in the oven. The fan should be off, as directed, and the shards should cool on a rack before plating.

Make a smooth lovage emulsion

Lovage oil: Blend the blanched leaves with the olive and sunflower oils, then strain through muslin for a clear, herb-scented oil.

Emulsion: Add the oil gradually to the yolks, mustard and vinegar while blending. Slow, steady pouring helps the mixture thicken; stop when it reaches a consistency that can be spooned or drizzled.

Balance the sea herbs

Leaf mix: Oyster leaf, flowering samphire, sea purslane and bronze fennel give the salad its range of herbal and marine notes. Pick through them and wash carefully before arranging.

Cucumber: Peel, deseed and cube it, then season it in Chardonnay vinegar. Its sharpness and fresh bite offset the cured fish and rich emulsion.

Assemble just before serving

Components: Have the salmon, dry leaves, drained cucumber, pastry shards and emulsion ready before plating. This keeps the pastry crisp and the salad fresh.

Finish: Arrange the salad around the salmon cubes, add the shards and emulsion, then top each cube with caviar. The recipe gives no overall preparation time, so allow for the overnight cure as well as the separate components.

Recipe notes & tips

• Use a tray large enough for the salmon to lie flat so the cure can cover it evenly.
• Rinse away the cure thoroughly the next day, then dry the fish carefully before cutting.
• Keep the pastry sheet covered until you are ready to brush it so it does not dry out.
• Watch the pastry continuously in the oven; it can crisp in just a few minutes.
• Pour the lovage oil into the yolk mixture in a slow, steady stream to help the emulsion thicken.
• Taste the emulsion before adding seasoning because the cured salmon is already salty.

Variations

• Change the herbs: Use another fresh, delicate herb in the oil if lovage is unavailable.
• Vary the pastry: Leave out the onion seeds or use another seed for a different savoury crunch.
• Adjust the cucumber: Use a mild vinegar in place of Chardonnay vinegar, seasoning the cubes to taste.
• Skip the caviar: Leave it off for a simpler plate that still has cured salmon, herbs and emulsion.
• Serve as a starter: Arrange smaller portions of salmon with a few leaves and one pastry shard.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Uneven curing: Spread the cure over both sides and press the fish evenly beneath a weighted tray.
• Leaving cure on: Rinse the salmon under cold water the next day so the finished fish is not excessively salty.
• Wet salmon: Pat the fish dry thoroughly after rinsing so it is easier to portion and plate.
• Overbaking pastry: Check it closely during the 2–3 minutes at 190°C and keep the fan off.
• Adding oil too quickly: Pour it in gradually while blending to help prevent the emulsion from splitting.
• Over-seasoning: Taste the emulsion first and account for the salt already in the cured salmon.

How to store

Keep the cured salmon covered in the refrigerator and use it promptly; store the emulsion, washed leaves and pastry separately. Refrigerate leftovers in sealed containers and reheat neither the salmon nor the assembled dish, as this is served cold and the pastry will lose its crispness.

Frequently asked questions