Recipe: cured salmon with leaks

PUBLISHED: 11:18 25 February 2016 | UPDATED: 11:18 25 February 2016

Julian Read

Cured salmon with leeks

Archant

Head chef of Strattons in Swaffham, Jules Hetherton

Head chef Jules Hetherton has worked with Strattons for two and a half years. Her interest in all things culinary started originally with her school cookery classes. ‘I love being creative and I love feeding people,’ says Jules. She plans menus by looking at what’s going to be in season and also sources from local suppliers. ‘This month we’ll have the forced rhubarb in, so on our menu will be a rhubarb and white chocolate cheesecake with rhubarb sorbet and roasted rhubarb. Also sprouting broccoli will be available ,so we’ll have a beef brisket with a béarnaise sauce, served with fresh sprouting broccoli, which will be just beautiful.’

Here Jules shares her recipe for a salmon starter with plenty of sweet surprise.

Ingredients (serves 6-8)

For the cured salmon

3kg of salmon fillet (skin off and pin boned)

100g of coarse sea salt

100g of caster sugar

7 splashes of whisky or brandy

For the cider dressing

1 heaped tsp of caster sugar

1½ tbsp of cider vinegar

1 egg yolk

1 egg

2 tbsp of English mustard

250ml of rapeseed light oil

Salt and pepper

For the white chocolate horseradish

50g of white chocolate melted

110g of horseradish (grated and mixed with 100ml of cream)

Treacle loaf

275g of butter (softened)

100g of soft brown sugar

325g plain flour (sifted)

1 tbsp of mixed spice

300g of golden syrup

2 eggs

1tsp of bicarbonate of soda

2tsp of ground ginger

2 sliced and sautéed leeks

Method

To prepare the salmo, mix the ingredients together and rub into the salmon. Wrap tightly in clingfilm and leave to marinade for at least 24 hours.

For the cider dressing, warm the sugar with the vinegar and allow to cool. Mix the egg yolk and whole egg with the mustard and vinegar mixture. Place in a food processor and gradually pour in the oil to create a smooth dressing. Season to taste.

Add the white chocolate to the horseradish and cream, mix all together until smooth and refrigerate.

For the treacle loaf, preheat the oven to 170C fan or Gas Mark 3. Grease and line two small loaf tins. Beat all the ingredients together until smooth. Bake for one hour until well risen and firm to the touch. When completely cooled, cut into 1cm cubes and serve at room temperature.

To assemble, slice the salmon to order into 6mm pieces. Place three slices of salmon on a bed of sautéed sliced leeks, add a quenelle of chocolate horseradish to the top of each salmon slice. Spoon the cider dressing around the salmon and finish with cubes of the treacle loaf.

Strattons

Ash Close, Swaffham, Norfolk, PE37 7NH, 01760 723845, www.strattonshotel.com