Beetroot & Vodka Cured Salmon with Watercress Pancakes

 

Ingredients:

500g piece of a salmon fillet, skin off

¼ C sugar

¼ C salt

2 T chopped dill, plus sprigs to serve

½ C vodka

1 raw beetroot, grated

Vodka creme fraiche

30ml vodka

½ C creme fraiche

1 T lemon juice

Salt & pepper

Watercress pancakes

¾ C plain flour

½ t bicarbonate of soda

1 t cream of tartar

1 egg

2 cups picked watercress leaves (you need about 1/2 a bunch)

150ml milk

Butter, to grease

 

Method:

1. Rinse salmon in cold water and dry well with paper towel. Combine sugar, salt and dill in a dish. Add salmon and turn to coat. Cover both sides of the salmon with the grated beetroot and pack on any remaining sugar/salt mixture. Pour over the vodka, cover with plastic wrap and chill for 10 hours or overnight.
2. Gently rinse cure mixture off the salmon, then cut into 1cm cubes. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
3. Combine creme fraiche ingredients in a bowl, season, and refrigerate until ready to serve.
4. For the pancakes, preheat the oven to 150°C. Place the flour, bicarbonate of soda, cream of tartar, egg and watercress in a food processor. Process slowly, gradually adding the milk, until you have a smooth batter.
5. Working in batches, brush a non-stick frypan with butter to lightly grease, and place over medium-high heat. Drop 2 teaspoons of batter in pan for each pancake, spacing pancakes 2-3cm apart. Cook for 1-2 minutes until bubbles appear on the surface, then turn and cook for a further minute or until golden. Transfer to a baking tray, cover loosely with foil and keep warm in the oven while you make remaining pancakes, greasing the pan with more butter as needed.
6. Place the salmon in a serving bowl and garnish with dill sprigs. Set out with the pancakes and vodka creme fraiche for guests to help themselves.

 

Serves 4.

Recipe adapted from taste.com.au

 

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