No heat required
3 Ways with Mt Cook Alpine Salmon
By Antony Suvalko
Lazy Susan has teamed up with Mt Cook Alpine Salmon. We love their products and their approach to sustainable salmon farming. They say it’s ‘nature’s finest tasting salmon’ and the Lazy Susan test kitchen agrees. Here are three recipes that deliver big on flavour with minimal effort… and no heat required! Sharpen your best chef’s knife and let’s go!
Christmas is fast approaching, a great time to treat yourself to a side of salmon (trust us on this, you’ll use it all, and we make it go a long way) - For stockists click here
Today we’re going to be making something to eat now, something for tomorrow, and something a little later.
First step - using a nice sharp knife, cut the side of salmon into 3 pieces - top loin, loin + belly, tail end, as per image above. Mt Cook Alpine Salmon comes with the skin on and pin bones removed – no faffing around with kitchen tweezers!
SOMETHING NOW
SASHIMI
More a process than a recipe. Use the belly + loin cut; it has the highest fat content, and concentration of omega-3 fatty acids – and that means flavour. This will be enough for 3-4 people as a light dinner. It goes well served with steamed rice, seaweed salad, Japanese potato salad, edamame and miso soup.
Step 1: Place the belly cut skin-side down on a chopping board. Wet your fingers and dip them in salt, this helps give you a firm grip on the skin. From the tail end of the belly, and using a sharp knife, make a cut between the flesh and skin, remember not to cut through the skin. Holding the tail end tightly, run your knife along the length of the belly, separating the skin from the flesh. The skin can be retained – fry or bake it until crisp and enjoy it dipped into Kewpie, or it’s great crumbled over a donburi or noodle dish.
Step 2: Cut the salmon into nice even slices, approx 5mm thick, arrange on a platter or individual plates and serve with wasabi (fresh if you can get it), and your highest quality soy sauce (check out our soy sauce 101 here).
Tip: Stock up on Kewpie mayonnaise and try Mt Cook Alpine Salmon fit-for-purpose ponzu sauce – a tangy citrus and dashi-infused soy sauce.
SOMETHING TOMORROW
SALMON & CREAM CHEESE CRACKERS
This is a simple and quick recipe for the tail end cut, which is thinner and can over-cure if used for gravlax. There is no set recipe for these nibbles, you can change it up by adding chopped dill, parsley, fried capers, diced avocado, extra smoked or cured salmon over the top, caviar…perhaps just not all at once!
Makes approx 15 crackers.
Step:1: Cut the salmon into small dice approx 5mm and place in a bowl along with the juice of 1 lime. Marinate the salmon in the lime juice for 30min-1 hour.
Step 2: Fold the salmon together with the zest of 1 lime, 3-4 roughly chopped stuffed peppers (we used the Delmaine ricotta stuffed baby peppers), 125g of whipped cream cheese, a tablespoon or so of crème fraîche, season, and add more lemon or lime juice to taste.
Step 3: Pile on your cracker of choice (it’s Meal Mates in our house), top with a sprig of coriander or parsley and serve with afternoon drinks.
Tip: Sub in Aoraki Smoky Salmon Spread for cream cheese, for a smoky hit and double the salmon goodness.
SOMETHING A LITTLE LATER
GRAVLAX
This is easy to prepare using the top loin as it’s an even cut for curing. Gravlax is traditionally served with a mustard and dill sauce. You can also pile it onto crackers (see above),and add it to potato salads. This gravlax lasts for a week in the fridge, but you'll eat it well before then! Makes approx 600-700g (depending on the size of the salmon).
Step 1: Combine 1/2 cup rock salt, 1/3 cup sugar, zest of 1 lemon, 6-8 juniper berries crushed (optional), and a good handful of finely chopped dill.
Step 2: Line a dish with cling film, and pour half the salt/sugar mix on the bottom.
Step 3. Place the salmon on top, skin side down.
Step 4: Top with the remaining salt/sugar mix, and drizzle over 1/3 cup of vodka (or gin). Cover with the cling film and wrap tightly, leave it in the dish. Place a chopping board (or a plate) on top of the salmon, and weigh it down with something heavy, but not too heavy. I used canned tomatoes.
Step: 5: 24 hours later (turning the salmon over after 12 hours), unwrap, wipe off the cure mix, give it a rinse it under cold running water, pat dry with a paper towel and you're done. You can cure it longer, but beware the longer the cure the firmer the salmon.
Step 6: Slice thinly – you do need a sharp knife for this, a long thin one is good. Cut on a slight angle, running your knife down the salmon flesh, but not cutting through the skin. It's not hard, just takes practice.
Tip: Thin-sliced gravlax is is the perfect addition to your Christmas menu: arrange on a large platter with a mustard and dill sauce and crackers, and let your guests help themselves. Pairs well with a local sparkling wine.
For more on the Mt Cook Chef Alpine Chef series…
To read more about Mt Cook Alpine Salmon’s products, recipes and responsible farming initiatives please click here.
