Prep time:

Cooking time: 3 hours 30 minutes

Total time:

Serves: 20

600g Piece of Salmon Fillet (Skin On)

2tbsp Juniper Berries

½tsp Black Peppercorns

½tsp Pink Peppercorns

2tbsp Sea Salt

2tbsp Sugar

5tbsp Gin

150g Raw Beetroot, Peeled and Grated

Grated Zest of 2 Limes

2tsp Maldon Salt

½tbsp White Wine Vinegar

½tbsp Water

½tbsp Caster Sugar

1 Cucumber

6 Radishes

Handful of Chopped Fresh Dill

A few cracked Peppercorns

This year I’m doing a starter of gin and beetroot cured salmon. It looks stunning, because the outside goes deep purple from the beetroot and the inside stays pink. I make it with the Kent Dry Gin made by Anno Distillers in Marden. One of the botanicals is Kentish samphire, which gives a slightly salty background to it.

  1. Remove any pin/large bones with tweezers.
  2. Line a deep china roasting dish with clingfilm (avoid metal as the acidity may react with it) and place the fish on it, skin side down.
  3. Crush the juniper and peppercorns in a pestle and mortar. Mix together with the remaining ingredients. Spread the mixture over the salmon, gently pressing into the flesh.
  4. Wrap the fish tight in the clingfilm and repeat with another layer all around it.
  5. Place a plate or baking sheet on top and weigh it down with jars or cans. Leave in the fridge for at least 36 hours, ideally up to 72.
  6. Unwrap the fish and scrape off the marinade.
  7. The salmon is now ready to serve – slice at an angle so you can see both the deep red colour and the delicate orangey/pink flesh. It will keep for 5 days in the fridge.
  8. Serve with quick-pickled vegetables and horseradish sauce.

Slice the vegetables thinly. Place in a colander and sprinkle with salt. Cover with a plate and set aside for 20 minutes. Mix together the other ingredients. Remove the plate and gently squeeze the vegetables removing excess moisture by patting dry with kitchen paper. Toss with vinegar mix. Leave for 10/20 minutes and serve.

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