Brockmans & Blackberry Salmon

It’s that time of year. The time when the UK really experiences four seasons in one day. Deciding which foods to eat can be quite the challenge as the unexpected lunchtime sun warms your autumnal soup and causes sweat droplets. Only to go home to a freezing house, where a cold, limp salad awaits you. So we’ve had Vicky Dalton-Banks (of Dalton Banks) prepare just the recipe to hit the mark: Brockmans & Blackberry Cured Salmon with horseradish crème fraîche.

Our light salmon is cured with a warming mix of blackberries, Dijon mustard, peppercorns and brown sugar. And for that extra kick, a horseradish crème fraîche to cut through the sweeter notes. Recently returned from a trip around South America, Vicky uses her travel as inspiration in the kitchen. Her trips across the world are fuelled by her want to explore a variety of cuisines and authentic dishes, as is showcased by her itinerary planning on her blog. A contributor to Tabl, Vicky is well respected in the food community with her healthy, seasonal recipes and light-hearted, genuine nature. So give this simple starter a go and have a scroll through her Instagram for more recipes and adventures around food…

Brockmans & Blackberry Cured Salmon with horseradish crème fraîche

By Vicky Dalton-Banks

Serves 6 – 12 

Ingredients

Salmon

• 400g salmon fillet, skinned
• 1 cup blackberries
• 35g dill (approx.1.5 bunches)
• 1.5 tbsp sea salt flakes
• 2 tbsp light brown sugar
• 1.5 tbsp coriander seeds, crushed
• 2 tbsp mixed peppercorns, crushed
• 45ml Brockmans gin
• 2 lemons, zest and juice
• 2 tbsp dijon mustard
• 7 slices of dense, seeded bread (optional)

Horseradish crème fraîche

• 4 tbsp crème fraîche
• 2 tsp horseraddish
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• Sprinkle of finely chopped dill

Method

1. In a bowl, crush the blackberries with a fork to create a juicy pulp. Put to one side.Finely chop 2/3 of the dill and put the un-chopped dill back into the fridge.
2. Next create the curing mix. In a large bowl combine the crushed blackberries, chopped dill, salt, sugar, coriander seeds, peppercorns, zest and juice of 1 lemon and Brockmans gin. Mix until well combined.
3. Spoon half of the mixture onto a large baking tray, covering an area approximately the size of the salmon. Lay the salmon on top and cover with the remaining marinade mix.
4. Cover tightly with cling film and refrigerate for 24 hours. You should turn the salmon once in this time and recover with cling film.
5. After 24 hours has passed lift the salmon out of the marinade (keeping the mixture in the tray) and wash the salmon to remove the salt. Pat dry with kitchen roll. Return the salmon back to the tray and place on top of the marinade.
6. Finely chop the rest of the dill and in a bowl combine the mustard, juice and zest of 1 lemon and dill.
7. Spread the mustard mixture over the top of the salmon. Cover with cling film again and put back into the fridge for another 4 hours.
8. To make the horseradish crème fraîche combine the crème fraîche, horseradish, lemon juice and dill. Refrigerate until needed.
9. After 4 hours, take the salmon out of the mixture and brush off the excess mustard. Slice the salmon thinly.
10. To serve as a starter for 6 people, simply place about 3 slices of salmon onto a plate with a spoon of the horseradish crème fraîche. Or, to serve more like canapés, toast your seeded bread (I used a dense soya and linseed loaf) and slice off the crusts of each slice and cut into three small rectangular pieces. Do this for all the slices and top with a small slice of salmon and dollop of crème fraîche.