There is such a low yield of wild salmon in Ireland that it is only available for a few weeks of the year, as opposed to the farmed variety, which is available all year round.
We only use wild fish at Thornton’s, because there is really no comparison in the taste between the two.
Now is the time to take advantage of this seasonal produce in creating a starter dish for the festive season. This recipe for wild smoked salmon includes the method we use at Thornton’s for marinating and smoking wild salmon.
There is great satisfaction to be found in smoking your own fish, and although it takes time, it’s simple to do. To cut down on your preparation time, source a good quality Irish smoked salmon instead.
Smoked wild Irish salmon with cucumber jelly and Beluga caviar; serves four
Ingredients (if smoking the salmon)
1 fillet of wild Atlantic salmon
1kg rock salt
500g granulated sugar
250g crushed black pepper
2 small bunches fresh dill and fennel stems
5ml virgin olive oil
Wood chippings
Cucumber jelly
1 cucumber
6g carrageen moss powder (can be substituted with gelatine)
10ml of fish or vegetable stock
5g salmon eggs
Half diced cucumber (peeled and deseeded)
5g of agar
Sea salt
Fresh milled white pepper
Garnish
20 triangles of fried potatoes (cut the potato into thin, triangle shapes. Sauté in a hot pan with a little sunflower oil until golden brown. Remove and place onto kitchen paper. Season with sea salt.)
5g Beluga caviar
5g salmon eggs
Lemon juice of quarter of a lemon
4 thin slices of cucumber
Lemon oil (lemon zest and virgin olive oil)
Marinade and smoking method
1. Remove the pin bones from the salmon.
2. Mix the salt, sugar and crushed black pepper together. Place half the salt mixture in a deep dish and place the salmon on top. Cover with the dill and fennel. Cover the salmon completely with the remaining salt mixture. Cover the dish with clingfilm and refrigerate for 14-16 hours.
3. Remove the salmon from the salt mixture and wash by placing it in a stainless steel bowl and running cold water over it for 15 minutes. Dry the salmon by wrapping it in a clean tea towel. When it’s dry, brush with virgin olive oil.
4. Smoke the salmon for five days at a temperature of around 32 degrees. We do this in a smoking room, but it’s possible to do it over smouldering wood chips, in a conventional home barbecue with a lid. It is difficult to regulate the temperature this way, but do try to keep it low, as the smoked fish will last longer. When it is sufficiently smoked, the salmon should have a slight brown tint. The salmon will last for a couple of weeks in a fridge. Once smoked, remove the outer skin from the salmon.
5. Carve the salmon thinly.
Cucumber jelly method
1. Peel, de-seed and roughly chop the cucumber. Juice it in a juicer, remove and strain through a fine sieve.
2. Heat the stock in a stainless steel pot. Add carrageen moss. Cook at medium heat for two minutes.
3. Remove from the heat and strain the mixture into the cucumber juice. Add the diced cucumber and salmon eggs to the cucumber juice. Taste for seasoning and correct with salt and pepper.
4. Pour the juice into a deep stainless steel tray and refrigerate until set. Remove from the fridge and, using a 6mm pastry cutter, cut the jelly into circular shapes.
Assembling the dish
1. Place the cucumber jelly into the centre of the plate. Arrange the cucumber, salmon and caviar around the plate.
2. Arrange the salmon on top of the cucumber jelly and squeeze a little lemon juice on top.
3. Place the potato triangles around the salmon. Sprinkle with lemon oil and serve.