Ditch the smoked salmon and cream cheese canapés and enjoy this alternative Christmas option from Peace & Loaf.
INGREDIENTS
Side of salmon
1kg salt
1kg sugar
500g fresh meadowsweet or (300g if powdered)
2 whole cucumbers
50ml gin
Small bottle of tonic
1 tbsp ultra-tex
METHOD
• For the salmon, first make the meadowsweet cure. Take 1kg salt and 1kg sugar. Pick the flowers off the meadowsweet (unless using powder) and blitz together with the salt and sugar.
• Spread some of this in the bottom of a tray and place the salmon skin side down on. Next, use the rest of the cure and completely cover the salmon. Cling film the tray and leave in the fridge overnight. The next day, wash the cure off the salmon then take the skin off and portion to desired size.
• For the compressed cucumbers, peel the cucumber, and use a melon baller to cut out the cucumber balls. Place these in a plastic container with half a pint of gin and tonic and then place this into a vacuum pack machine and run the cycle to compress the gin and tonic into the cucumber.
• For the gel, take a pint of gin and tonic and whisk a tablespoon of ultra-tex in until you reach the desired consistency. Reserve for plating.
• Place the cured salmon and scatter some cucumber balls on a plate. Add a few dots of the G&T gel and finish with seasoned herbs and flowers.
