Poached salmon with pickled fennel and spiced soured cream
This salmon dish takes a while to prepare but the complementary flavours of the herby fish, sour pickle and spicy cream are worth it.
Ingredients
For the spiced soured cream
- caraway seeds: 2 tsp caraway seeds, toasted and ground
- fennel seeds: 2 tsp fennel seeds, toasted and ground
- paprika: large pinch of hot paprika
- soured cream: 125ml/4fl oz soured cream
- salt
For the pickled fennel
- caster sugar: 100²µ/3½´Ç³ú caster sugar
- pink peppercorns: 2 tbsp ground pink peppercorns
- white wine vinegar: 200ml/7fl oz white wine vinegar
- fennels: 2 fennels, trimmed and thinly sliced
For the poached salmon
- chervil: 1 bunch fresh chervil, finely chopped
- chives: 1 bunch fresh chives, snipped
- dill: 1 bunch fresh dill, finely chopped
- tarragon: 1 bunch fresh tarragon, finely chopped
- salmon: 1 whole salmon (about 3kg/6lb 8oz), cut into 2 fillets, pin-boned and skinned
- gelatine: 1 bronze gelatine leaf
- crispbreads: crispbreads, to serve
Method
For the spiced soured cream, place the soured cream in a muslin over a bowl and leave to drain in the fridge overnight.
For the pickled fennel, heat the sugar, peppercorns and vinegar in a small saucepan until just boiling. Place the fennel in a bowl and pour over the pickling liquid. Cover and allow to steep for at least an hour while you prepare the salmon.
For the poached salmon, mix the herbs together and spread half of the herbs over a large piece of cling film that is bigger than the salmon fillets.
Lay one salmon fillet on the herbs, skin-side down. Break the gelatine leaf into small pieces and scatter over the salmon fillet. Lay the other salmon fillet on top, placing it the opposite way round, head to tail. Scatter the rest of the herbs on top and wrap the fish up tightly in the cling film. Place the fish on a muslin and roll it up in the muslin, tying it tightly with cooking string or twine.
Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil and then reduce to a simmer. Gently lower the muslin-wrapped salmon into the water and poach for 20 minutes. Leave to rest in the water as it cools for 1 hour and then transfer to the fridge.
For the spiced soured cream, place the drained soured cream, seeds and paprika in a bowl and stir to combine. Season with salt.
When the salmon is cold, remove from the fridge and take off the muslin. Cut into slices through the cling film and transfer to a serving platter. Remove the film and serve on the platter with fennel, soured cream and crispbreads.
