Olive Gin & Citrus Cured Salmon with Cucumber Salad and Mustard Caper Aioli

You know the saying “a picture is worth a thousand words”? Relay that into the one aspect of life that is crucial to all human existence and you’ll find that “a dish is worth a thousand words”. This is no midweek salad or everyday weeknight dinner but it is a reoccurring staple that shares beauty within the basic and speaks more about the existence of natural flavours and everyday ingredients blended into something that strikes an inner feeling of warmth, comfort and the power of home-cooking in it’s most exquisite form.

Believe it or not, we are moved by the product of our surroundings. The function and process of cooking became a “new” (although one of the oldest things known to man kind) in the spike of our current global situation. Unfortunately not due to anything other than necessity, but this granted a remarkable twist in the way society approaches home cooking as well as our relationships with food produce and souring.

Think of a gift. It represents a passing of love, warmth, caring, representing the past, present and future. When the function of human interaction and the processes or buying and selling became forbidden, we were forced to adapt. Cooking for oneself and the display of affection and relationships became one of the only manageable activities which also meant for many, a big learning curve.

Showing affection and love through cooking doesn’t mean spending hours over hot pots and pan, having spent thousands of euros (or dollars). Showing affection and love can thrive in the way of simple but quality ingredients manipulated, woven and sculpted into a dish that is worth a thousand words.

This salmon is cured for a minimum of 24 hours in an easy, homemade rub and paired with flavours that compliment to it’s smooth texture. To cure salmon, without cooking it on any form of heat,the presence of an acidic element (most of the time citrus) is key. In this recipe, the use of a combination of alcohol and citrus forms a more unique, flavour imparting curing agent. To top this off, the quality of the OEL gin used means there is maximum flavour with minimum effort.

The OEL products have always been a true love of mine, ever since I first tried their olive oil over 4 years ago. They have won over 12 awards for their olive oil - see the full list here. Their product are 100% organically certified and are made from the olives that are grown on their family owned block in Melegalas, Kalamata, Greece (known and named after the kalamata olive). All olives are harvested only by hand and are processed into olive oil (or other products) within a few hours - no cold pressing or storing. This means pure and natural flavor with 100% quality. Shop the full range of OEL here.

Stay tuned for more unique and delicious recipes from me with the full range of OEL products. You will know the definition of our new phrase “a dish is worth a thousand words” by the end. And don’t forget, we lead by example. Quality produce is the building block of a healthier more flavorful existence. Quality is key.

Cecile

Olive Gin & Citrus Cured Salmon with Cucumber Salad and Mustard Caper Aioli

Ingredients

For the Salmon

1-1.5kg salmon fillet, skinned

2 lemons, juiced + one sliced in full moons

1 cup OEL gin

1 cup dill, roughly chopped

6 tbsp course Himalayan salt

2 tbsp dried oregano

1 tbsp whole pepper corns

2 tsp brown sugar

1 tbsp caraway seeds

For the croutons

3 sliced sourdough wholewheat bread

1/2 cup whole egg aioli

1 tbsp seeded mustard

1 1/2 tbsp salted capers, roughly chopped

1 tsp dill, roughly chopped (optional)

1/2 cucumber, thinly sliced with a potato peeler or mandolin

1 tsp salt

1 tbsp white wine vinegar

1 tbsp dill, roughly chopped (optional)

Method

Carefully wash your salmon ensuring there are no scales left after skinning. Pat dry with paper towel. Place the fillet on a piece of parchment paper that is covered by one long sheet of plastic wrap which is at least double the size of the salmon (this will keep the juices in to cure so you don’t want it leaking). Place this on a large platter that is long enough to fit the whole salmon.

In another small bowl, mix together the lemon juice, gin, dill, sugar, pepper corns, oregano and caraway seeds. Once the salt and sugar are emulsified (mixing or whisking for 3-4 minutes), gently spread the mixture of the clean salmon surface, ensuring the liquid is caught by the cling wrap and the rub is spread in an even layer over the whole surface. Finish with the lemon slices and cover with the second half of the plastic (so you end up with a large parcel covered by one sheet of cling wrap). Place one or two heavy pots or pans on top and refrigerate for 48 hours, flipping the salmon over half way through.

Remove the salmon from the fridge and peel off the lemon slices along with the dill flakes (they will look a bit wilted). You can top with more dill if you are serving as a beautiful main or jump to thinly slicing it as you would do with smoked salmon.

To make the Croutons

Grill or pan fry the slices of bread for a charred flavour. Slice each into two. Place on a platter and set aside.

Whisk together the aioli, mustard, salted capers and dill until blended. In another small bowl, combine the cucumber slices with the salt, vinegar and dill.

Spread a spoonful of the aioli on each slice of toast, topping each with the cucumber salad, salmon and radish slices (optional). Sprinkle with sea salt, cracked black pepper and enjoy.