Serves 4-6
Ingredients
- 500g organic salmon from the top end near the head
- 100g table salt
- 100g sugar
- 1 litre water
- 200g lovage
- 300ml vegetable oil
- lemon juice
- 1 egg yolk
- 350g buttermilk
- 100g sourdough loaf
- 50g butter
- various soft herbs such as chervil, coriander, chives, lemon verbena
Method
- Place the buttermilk into a cheese cloth and hang it over the bowl for approximately 6 hours, until the whey has been removed and you’re left with the solid curds.
- Season the curds with lemon juice and salt to taste. Set aside.
- Mix the water, sugar and salt together until fully dissolved and then place the salmon in the brine for 20 minutes. Remove the salmon and drain on a cloth.
- Place a deep roasting tray filled with water in the oven on its lowest setting. Wrap the salmon tightly in cling film and drop into the water in the oven for 15 minutes, then remove and chill in the fridge.
- Blend the lovage with the vegetable oil for three minutes until you have a beautifully green oil. Pass the oil through a fine sieve.
- Mix the egg yolk, a squeeze of lemon and a pinch of salt in a bowl. Whisk in the lovage oil slowly until you form a thick emulsion like a mayonnaise.
- Correct the seasoning of the emulsion with salt and lemon to your taste
- Tear the sourdough into roughly 1cm pieces, melt the butter in a pan, and as it starts to foam add the bread and fry until golden and crispy. Season and drain on a kitchen cloth.
- To serve: portion the salmon, dot the buttermilk and the lovage emulsion on top of the salmon, add the fried bread and garnish with your chosen soft herbs
Recipe Courtesy of Alex Bond, chef-owner of Alchemilla.