Stephen McAllister’s tea cured salmon recipe has always been a big hit with the customers of The Pig’s Ear. It is also a great dinner party starter as all the work is done ahead of time leaving you free to mingle with your guests.
Serves 4
Ingredients:
– 500g organic Irish salmon, skin off & pin-boned
– Zest of 1 orange & 1 lemon
– 70g sea salt
– 90g sugar
– 30g dill or fennel
– Tea from 2 Earl Grey tea bags
– 100g yogurt, strained in a muslin cloth overnight
– 1 Granny Smith apple, sliced into crescent shapes
– 1 cucumber, one half sliced thinly length ways, seasoned with salt to soften; the other peeled and cut into 4 disks, with the remainder scooped out into little balls using a small melon baller
– Fennel herb, for garnish
Ingredients:
1. Add the orange, lemon, salt, sugar, dill and tea to a bowl.
2. Cover the fish completely with the salt and sugar mixture and place onto a dish.
3. Cover the dish with clingfilm and refrigerate for up to 24 hrs, turning halfway through.
4. When the curing time is up, wash under running cold water. Pat dry using a cloth.
5. Place on a chopping board and slice into even pieces.
6. Take the yogurt from the cloth and season with salt and white pepper to taste.
7. Lay the cucumber slices on a board overlapping slightly. Spoon some yogurt in the centre and roll up into a cigar shape. Repeat until you have four cucumber rolls.
8. Place a slice of salmon on each plate with the different cucumbers beside it. Top with some apple slices and a little fennel herb.
9. Finish with olive oil and a squeeze of lemon.
All in the Food is published by O’Brien’s Press and is available to buy here.