Flaky hot smoked salmon, kosher approved, one of Rick Stein’s Food Heroes

Salar Flaky Smoked Salmon, Mango Salsa, Organic Leaves, Herb Oil and Balsamic Syrup

recipe by Nick Nairn, serves 4 as a starter

This is an sensational starter for a special meal when served the formal way (see below and photo on Restaurants page). It is a particular favourite for Christmas dinner and New's Year's Day dinner.

Most of the preparation can be done in advance and the final presentation done at the last minute.

Ingredients:
250g Flaky Smoked Salmon

For the salsa:
1 x ripe mango, peeled and chopped into ½ inch dice
2 x red chilli, seeded and finely chopped
3 x ripe plum tomatoes, 1/4 , deseeded and finely diced
2 x tablespoon of chopped, fresh coriander
¼ red onion, finely chopped
2 x teaspoon of Thai fish sauce
2 x teaspoon of light soy sauce
Juice and zest of two limes
Freshly ground sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Add all the ingredients to a mixing bowl, add a little salt, bearing in mind that the soy sauce is already quite salty, add the freshly ground pepper and leave at room temperature to allow the flavours to develop.

This will make enough for approx 8 people.

To serve:
100 g (4oz) baby salad leaves
1 teaspoon olive oil
Lemon juice
Herb oil (optional)
Balsamic syrup (optional)

To make the herb oil: (makes about 300 ml / ½ pint)
Herb oils are a great fridge standby as a replacement for sauces: they add colour, flavour and fragrance to a dish.

85 g (3 oz) mixed fresh chives, parsley and tarragon
300 ml (½ pint) olive oil

Drop the herbs into a pan of heavily salted, boiling water for 10 seconds. This fixes the chlorophyll and keeps them green, giving the oil a lovely rich colour. Drain and refresh under cold running water to stop the cooking process. Wring them dry in a clean tea towel or kitchen paper and then chop roughly.

Put the herbs into a liquidizer with the oil and blitz for 3 minutes, until the oil is emulsified and green. If the herbs are reluctant to give up their colour, tip the oil into a small saucepan and bring to the boil over a low heat – this should fix the colour. Cool immediately and store in a squeezy bottle in the fridge. It keeps for up to 10 days, then starts to lose its colour. Herb oils freeze surprisingly well.

To make the balsamic syrup:
When you are preparing this make sure that the kitchen is well ventilated – the fumes will make your eyes nip!

1 bottle balsamic vinegar

Bring the balsamic vinegar to the boil and simmer until reduced by half. Leave to cool. We store ours in small squeezy bottles for convenience.

To make the salsa:
Halve the avocado and remove the stone. Halve again and remove the skin before chopping it into 1 cm (½ in) chunks. Place in a mixing bowl and add the chilli, coriander, red onion, mango, fish sauce, a pinch of salt and the lime juice and zest. Mix well and leave at room temperature for about 30 minutes, to allow the flavours to develop.

Prepare the salad:
Lightly dress the salad leaves in the teaspoon of olive oil, a small squeeze of lemon juice and a pinch of seasoning.

To serve in the formal way: (see the photograph on the Restaurants page)

Set a 7.5 cm (3 in) scone cutter or food ring in the centre of each plate. Flake the salmon into large pieces and, using about 85 g (3 oz) per ring, press into the base of each ring, banking it up the sides of the ring so that it will hold. Spoon the salsa on top of the salmon and press down lightly.

The towers are ideal for preparing in advance: simply prepare to this stage and place on a tray in the fridge until needed. When ready to serve, remove the ring carefully and garnish with a small handful of the lightly dressed salad leaves. Drizzle round the herb oil and the balsamic syrup, if using.

To serving informally:
Flake the salmon and divide between the serving plates. Place some salsa alongside the fish and drizzle around the herb oil and balsamic syrup, if using.

Serve with the salad in a bowl on the side.

To try this recipe, why not buy some Salar Flaky Smoked Salmon from our online shop?

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Salar Flaky Smoked Salmon, Mango Salsa, Organic Leaves, Herb Oil and Balsamic Syrup

recipe by Nick Nairn, serves 4 as a starter

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