Smoked salmon with beetroot relish and horseradish creme fraiche served on toasted ciabatta

Randomly thought this one up at the gym earlier today so asked the staff for a pen and paper wrote it down!

Salmon and beetroot are a winning combination and the kick from the horseradish really completes this dish!  Very easy to prepare and looks great served layered in a cook ring!

Smoked salmon

• 150g smoked salmon
• dash of olive oil
• squeeze of lemon juice
• salt
• pepper

Beetroot relish

• Splash of live oil
• 1 tbsp lemon juice for cooking
• 150g of fresh  beetroot
• salt
• pepper
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• 15g of fresh horseradish, grated
• ½ small shallot very finely chopped
• 1 tbsp of horseradish sauce

Horseradish creme fraiche:

150g of crème fraîche

• 25g of horseradish, grated
• 2 tbsp of horseradish sauce
• 1/2 tbsp Dijon mustard
• salt
• pepper
• 1/2 lemon, juiced

Toasted ciabatta:

• 1cm thick pieces of ciabatta or other bread cut into circular shapes
• olive oil
• pepper

For the Beetroot Relish:

1. Place the beetroot with skin on along with the tbsp of lemon juice into  a saucepan  and bring to the boil.  Simmer the beetroot for around 40minutes.
2. Allow the beetroot to cool slightly then remove the skin and dice into small cubes.
3. Combine the cubed beetroot with the 1tbsp of horseradish cream until it develops a buttery consistency.  Mix in the olive oil, grated horseradish, shallot and season with salt and pepper and lemon to taste.  Place in the refrigerator to cool.

For the Horseradish crème fraiche:

1. Place the crème fraiche in a bowl and combine with the horseradish cream, grated horseradish and mustard.  Season with salt and pepper and add the lemon juice to taste.  Whip slightly to thicken the mixture and place in the fridge to keep cool.

For the salmon:

1. Dice the salmon into small cubes and combine with the olive oil, lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste.

For the toasted ciabatta:

1. Pre-heat the oven to gas mark 6/200c
2. Drizzle the cut out circular bread shapes with olive oil and season with black pepper.
3. Cook for 5 to 6 minutes or until golden brown

To serve I use press & present mini cooking rings (by Lakeland), layering the toast at the bottom followed by a layer of the beetroot relish, a layer of the smoked salmon and topped with the crème fraiche cream and a few sprigs of fresh dill.

My Teriyaki Salmon (Quick and perfect for a small dinner party)

I’m a relative newcomer to cooking Far Eastern cuisine, but this dish always goes down a treat and is quick and simple to make!  I would really urge you to give this a go.  The classic combination of soy sauce, ginger and lime makes for a truly perfect marriage with the salmon!

Teriyaki Salmon:

2 Salmon fillets
60ml Mirin
60 ml dark soy sauce
Juice and zest of 1 lime
1 red chilli finely chopped
Grated ginger (medium chunk)
2 Spring onions sliced and some reserved and cut into thin strips for deep frying (keep some of these strips raw)
2 tablespoons rice wine
40g dark brown sugar
Noodles to serve

1. Combine the mirin, soy sauce, lime (juice and zest), chopped spring onion and chopped chilli in a medium sized bowl.  Add the salmon and marinade on each side for 5 minutes.
2. Heat a good glug of sunflower oil in a small saucepan and deep fry the thin strips of spring onion until lightly crisp.
3. Remove salmon from the marinade and fry dry or with a small amount of oil on a high heat for 2 minutes on the bottom side.
4. Flip the salmon, add the combined ingredients from step 1, and fry for a further 2 minutes.
5. Remove the salmon and place on warm serving plates.
6. Add 2 tablespoons of rice wine to the sauce and reduce to a syrupy consistency.
7. Remove the sauce and set aside.  Add the noodles to the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes.
8. Pour the sauce over the plated salmon, garnish with the deep fried and raw spring onion strips and serve with the noodles and a wedge of lime.