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Salmon Gravadlax with Beetroot

Ingredients

• 1 side of salmon - approximately 700g, skin on, pin boned
• 250g rock salt
• 50g castor sugar
• 40g fresh juniper berries, crushed
• 300g raw beetroot, peeled and coarsely grated
• 50ml pale dry sherry or gin
• a large bunch of fresh dill
• 1 lemon

For the sauce

• 200ml soured cream
• 1-2 heaped tsp wholegrain mustard
• zest and juice of 1/2 lemon
• a small handful of fresh dill, finely chopped
• a small handful of fresh chives, fully chopped

Method

1. Place the salmon on a large tray, skin-side down, and spoon the rock salt evenly all over the fish.  This will draw the moisture out and make it dense and firm enough to carve.  Scatter over the sugar to give some sweetness, then spread the crushed juniper berries and beets all over the salmon so that the flesh is completely covered.  Gently pat it down with your hands (you might want to put on rubber gloves to prevent your hands from getting stained).  Drizzle over the sherry or gin and sprinkle your chopped dill over the top.
2. Finely grate over the zest of your lemon and then cover the tray of salmon tightly with cling film.  Pop a weight on top to help pack everything down (another tray and a few tin cans works well) then put it into the fridge for 48 hours.
3. After 2 days, unwrap the fish and hold the fillet down while you pour away the juices from the tray.  Use your hands to push away all the toppings (this can be really messy, so again you might want to wear rubber gloves and push the toppings straight into a plastic bag).  Wipe everything off and pat the fillet dry with kitchen paper.
4. Skin-side down, starting at the tail end, carefully cut under the fillet with a really long sharp knife, separating the skin from the fillet.  With long rocking motions, angle the knife down slightly towards the skin and carve along the length of the fillet to remove the skin.  Trim off any brown bits of fish from underneath, then flip it back over.  Slice what you need as thinly as you can and arrange on a board or plate for serving.  Wrap the rest of the salmon fillet in cling film and it will stay happily in your fridge for 2 weeks.
5. Mix all your sauce ingredients together.  Have a taste, season with sea salt and black pepper, and add a bit more dill, chives or lemon juice if it needs it.  Serve the sauce in a bowl next to your gravadlax, with salad, brown bread and a wedge of lemon.

The Suzanne James ethos is to use seasonal, organic, sustainable and preferably British produce whenever possible.

In season this during December;

Vegetables;

Jerusalem Artichokes, Brussels Tops, Brussels Sprouts, Cabbages (red, white and various green varieties), Carrots, Celariac, Celery, Chicory, Endive, Spring & Winter Greens, Kale, Leeks, Onions, Parsnips, Potatoes, Sweed, Turnips

Fruit & Nuts;

Apples (Egremont, Russet, Blenheim Orange plus Cox’s & Fiesta from store), Forced Rhubarb, Chestnuts, Walnuts

Meat:

Goose, Grouse, Guinea Fowl, Hare, Partridge, Pheasant, Mallard, Venison, Wood Pigeon

Fish & Seafood:

Cod, Crab (Brown & Hen), Haddock, Hake, Mussels, Oysters (Native & Rock), Plaice, Sea Bass, Squid, Whiting