Recipe of the month
Treacle Cured Salmon, Potato Pancakes, and Summer Vegetables
By John Greenley, Development Chef for Vincere Hospitality
As development chef for Vincere Hospitality, this dish is ideal for our outside events, and also your dinner parties; visually stunning, yet relatively simple to make, mostly in advance. When creating new menus for Vincere Hospitality, I’m always on the look-out for recipes that a) can be prepped mostly in advance; b) are quick and easy to put together at the point of service; c) make the most of our beautiful array of locally sourced, seasonal produce; and d) look and taste amazing.
This particular dish then, ticks all of the boxes for me. It looks after itself once you cure the salmon and pickle the cucumber; it’s just a waiting game after that. The salmon is really bold, which stands up to the contrasting flavours of the dish. A perfect dinner party (and conversation!) starter.
Serve with some of your favourite summer vegetables, lightly blanched. Here I’ve opted for Lincolnshire asparagus and baby heritage carrots, garnished with pea shoots. Then build the dish to create a visually stunning, and delicious starter guaranteed to wow your guests.
Treacle Cured Salmon (make 3 days in advance)
1 side of salmon
150g treacle
2tbsp English mustard
100g sea salt
4tsp black pepper
2tsp fennel seeds
Zest of 2 lemons
Double cling film a tray so the cling film overlaps the sides. Place the salmon on the tray. Add all other ingredients into a pan, and warm through until the salt has dissolved. Leave to cool slightly. Rub this mixture into the flesh of the salmon. Wrap in the cling film, then sit a second tray over it, placing something heavy over the top. Leave to cure for 3 days in the refrigerator.
Lime Pearls (make up to 3 days in advance)
170ml lime juice
4g agar agar
100g sugar
2 ltrs of olive oil
Place olive oil in the freezer for 4 hours. Bring lime juice and sugar to the boil. Whisk in the agar agar. With a pipette or bottle squeeze drops of the mixture into the cold oil. Rinse lime pearls off. Refrigerate.
Pickled cucumber – optional (make 1 day in advance)
1 ltr white wine vinegar
250ml water
500g caster sugar
5 star anise
2 cloves
1 cinamon stick
2 tbsps white peppercorns
1 tbsp coriander seeds
1 tbsp fennel seeds
1 cucumber, peeled into ribbons with a vegetable peeler
Place all ingredients (except cucumber) into a pan and bring to the boil, then simmer for 10-15 minutes. Pass through a sieve, keeping liquid and discarding other ingredients. Chill. Place cucumber ribbons in a flat based dish, pour enough liquid over to just cover the cucumber. Cover and refrigerate until required, when you will then remove the cucumber from the liquid, and pat dry.
For more information on how we can help you for those bigger parties, visit www.vincerehospitality.co.uk or call 01507 605763.
