Cured Salmon & Garden Pickles with Millbrook Viognier

CURED SALMON & GARDEN PICKLES
This recipe can be made well ahead of time, making it the perfect dish for a party or picnic

Ingredients
1 side Salmon trimmed & pinboned

4 star anise

4 cloves

½ cup tarragon

½ cup dill

150gm sea salt

150gm honey

1 beetroot

Garden Pickles
1,200ml white wine vinegar

800gm caster sugar

A few dried chillies and bay leaves

Pinch of salt
All or any of the following from your garden or the local farmers market;

carrots, cauliflower, beetroot, asparagus, cabbage, fennel, beans

To cure your salmon, smash the star anise, cloves, tarragon & dill in the mortar and pestle. Mix in the salt and sprinkle a ¼ into a plastic container. Lay your salmon flat on top of this and cover with the remaining dry cure mix. Drizzle over the honey and grate the beetroot over the top. Cover with cling wrap and place in the fridge. After 24hrs take the salmon out of the container (dry cure mix will now be wet) and with a damp cloth wipe off any remaining cure mix. Eat straight away, or refrigerate for up to one week.

For the garden pickles, heat vinegar, sugar, chilli, bay leaves and salt in a sauce pan, stirring occasionally. While this is coming to the boil thinly slice your vegetables and place into sterilised jars. Pour over boiling liquid and refrigerate for up to one year.

When you are ready, carve the fish as thinly as possible and serve with some of the garden pickles, aioli, olive oil, bread and a glass of Millbrook Regional Viognier.

Recipe by Guy Jeffreys – Head Chef Millbrook Winery