Masterchef Pro Finalist, Scott Davies' Gin Cured Salmon

Ingredients

Salmon

400g centre cut salmon, pin boned, skinned & brown meat removed

200g Isle of Skye Sea Salt

200g caster sugar

10 juniper berries crushed

1 tbsp chopped dill

1 small fennel grated

50ml Harris Gin/Misty Isle Gin

Skye black pickled fennel

450g fennel bulbs

3 sprigs of dill/fennel

240ml cider vinegar

150ml Skye Black Ale

200g soft brown sugar

1 ½ tbsp yellow & brown mustard seeds

1 tbsp lightly toasted fennel seeds

Crab ketchup

½ leaf gelatine, soaked in ice cold water for 10 minutes

½ juice of lemon

110g brown crab meat

Dash of Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp English mustard

1 tsp anchovy essence

2tsp tomato ketchup

1 egg yolk

1 tbsp. fresh white breadcrumbs

110ml vegetable oil

4 tbsp. rapeseed oil

Salt & pepper to taste

Apple & wasabi sorbet

150g caster sugar

150g water

440g Braeburn apple juice

20g lemon juice

60g glucose

4g wasabi paste

Tonic jelly

200ml tonic water

2 leaves of gelatine

In ice water for 10 minutes

Garnishes

100g fresh picked crab claw meat, dressed in ver jus, season with Isle of Skye Sea Salt & Kombu flakes.

10g fresh samphire

50g fennel slaw: fresh fennel finely sliced, dressed in lemon dressing and chopped fennel herb

1 tsp keta

1 tbsp. wild rice, fried in hot oil until puffs, drained and seasoned with salt.

 

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Method

Salmon

Mix all the ingredients together, except the salmon in a bowl. Pour half the mix on a stainless steel tray. Place the salmon on top. Then pour the rest of the salt mix on top. Cover with cling film and leave in the fridge for 12 hours. Remove salmon from salt mix, discarding the salt mix. Wash the salmon to remove any of the salt mix. Dry and leave uncovered in the fridge for 2 hours. Brush with 25ml of gin, optional.

Skye black pickled fennel

Split the fennel in half through the root, removing any damaged or bruised outer cells. Blanche in seasoned water for 4 minutes. Refresh in ice water, and bring all of the other ingredients to the boil. Remove from the heat and allow to cool for 5 minutes. Then add the fennel and cover. Allow to cool, and then place in the fridge and leave for a minimum of 2 days. Remove the fennel bulbs and finely dice.

Crab ketchup

Squeeze out the gelatine. Add to a pan with the lemon juice and heat over a low heat until to dissolved. Add to a blender with the brown crab meat, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, essence, ketchup, egg and blender until smooth. Add the bread crumbles and blend until smooth. With the motor running slowly add the oil in a steady stream. Stop the machine and scrape the sides every so often. Season to taste with salt and pepper and pass through a fine sieve. Pour into a squeeze bottle and reserve in the fridge.

Apple & wasabi sorbet

Bring the sugar, glucose and water to the boil. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Whisk in the wasabi, apple juice and lemon juice. Taste can add more wasabi if needed. Churn in an ice-cream machine. Then freeze. Finally, have a taste and more wasabi can be added if needed.

Tonic jelly

Squeeze out gelatine, and add to the pan with 50ml of tonic water. Warm gently over a low heat until dissolved. Remove from the heat; allow to cool to room temperature. Stir in the rest of the tonic and pass through a fine sieve, into a small greased tray, so the tonic is 1 cm thick. Set in the fridge for 1 hour, and then cut into small 1 cm cubes.

 

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