Warm smoked Arctic char with prawns, girolles, pickled fennel and cucumber
A fresh and zingy dish to impress with. If you can’t get hold of Arctic char you could use salmon instead.
Equipment: You will need a smoker bag.
Ingredients
For the pickled cucumber and fennel
- 50ml/2fl oz distilled vinegar
- 1 tbsp caster sugar
- pinch flaked sea salt
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- 50²µ/1¾´Ç³ú dill
- 2 Lebanese cucumbers, finely sliced using a mandolin
- 1 fennel bulb, finely sliced using a mandolin
For the pickled shallots
- 2 shallots, finely chopped
- 50ml/2fl oz white wine vinegar
- salt
For the salad
Method
To make the pickled cucumber and fennel, place the vinegar in a saucepan with 100ml/3½fl oz water. Bring to the boil and add the sugar, salt and mustard seeds. Remove from the heat and leave to cool. When completely cool, add the dill, cucumbers and fennel and pickle for 2–3 hours.
To make the pickled shallots, place the shallots in a saucepan with the vinegar and season. Gently warm the shallots over a low heat, then set aside to cool.
Preheat the oven to 230C/210C Fan/Gas 8.
To make the salad, dry the char fillet with kitchen paper, season with salt and place into the smoker bag with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Place the bag on the lowest oven shelf for 5 minutes then reduce the oven temperature to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6 and cook for a further 7 minutes. Remove from the oven and leave to rest.
Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a frying pan over a medium heat, cook the girolles for 2–3 minutes and season with salt. Strain the shallots and add them to frying pan, discarding the pickling liquid. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside.
Strain the pickled fennel and cucumber, discarding the pickling liquid and mix them with the girolles and shallots. Add the chives and mix through then divide between two plates. Break the warm smoked salmon into pieces and place on top, along with the prawns and a garnish of dill.