You will need
500 g Norwegian salmon fillet, with the skin on
¼ cup (60 ml) castor sugar
¼ cup (60 ml) coarse salt
dill or fennel, a few fronds
1 T (15 ml) lemon rind, grated
2 T (30 ml) fresh horseradish, grated fresh or bottled
1 medium beetroot, washed, unpeeled and coarsely grated
Ina Paarman’s Creamy Honey Mustard Dressing
1 beetroot, peeled and cut into fine julienne strips
dill, watercress or baby rocket
1 lemon, cut in wedges
freshly ground black pepper
Before curing the salmon, turn a large mixing bowl upside down and drape the salmon, skin side down, over it, to force the pin-bones to stick up more prominently. Remove bones with a pair of tweezers or a small pair of tongs. This will make the salmon much easier to slice once cured.
Method
Take the pin-bones out of the fish. See Ina’s VIP tip at the end of the recipe
Mix together sugar, salt, 2 T (30 ml) chopped dill and lemon rind.
Stretch a large sheet of cling film over a large casserole dish and spoon some of the dry cure over. Lay the fillet, skin side down, on the cure, then pack the rest of the dry cure on the meaty side of the salmon. Top with a mixture of the grated beetroot and horseradish.
Wrap tightly with cling film. Put a smaller dish on top and weigh it down with a couple of tins. Leave in the fridge for two days. Don’t be alarmed by the liquid that leaks out, this is normal. Discard the liquid.
To serve
Unwrap the salmon from the cling film and brush off both the wet and dry cures. Slice the salmon into thin slivers against the skin.
Arrange salmon on a plate, add a drizzle of Creamy Honey Mustard Dressing, a tiny pile of beetroot julienne, a few sprigs of greenery and a small lemon wedge.
Finish off with a grinding of black pepper.
