This recipe is inspired by our Nordic neighbours, the Swedes. In Sweden they call cured salmon rimmad lax. The salmon is cured in salt and sugar over night. The salt and sugar break down the fibres in the flesh so the salmon is cooked cold, bringing out its delicate flavour. The result is a perfect balance of salt, sweetness and the smooth rich taste of salmon.
This recipe includes flavours that complement the rich pure taste of the cured salmon. The asparagus brings the fresh taste of spring. Rye bread has a hint of acidity and when you fry it in brown butter, the nutty dark flavour of the bread comes out. The red currants add a fruity taste and the creamy fatty poached egg works as a sauce that brings all the ingredients and flavours together.
You can serve the cured salmon as it is, but in this dish I like to sear it a little on one side to give it a crust and that added note of caramelization – one more delicious flavour to this dish.
- Author : Gutti Winther
- Category : Dinner, lunch, starter
- Cuisine : Nordic
- Yield : 2 servings
- Fresh salmon fillet, skin removed (400 gr.)
- 2 tablespoons of sugar
- 2 tablespoons of salt
- 10-12 green asparagus
- 2 thick slices of rye bread
- 50 gr. of butter
- A small glass of white wine
- 1 shallot, finely sliced
- A handful of parsley, chopped
- 2 fresh eggs
- Olive oil for frying
- A handful of red currants
- A couple of stalks of dill
- Some wood sorrel leaves (optional)
- Extra salt
- Mix the equal portions of salt and sugar. Pour the mixture over the salmon and rub it gently on both sides. Put the salmon in a tray, cover it with cling film and put in the refrigerator overnight.
- Snap off the hard woody ends of the asparagus. Take two of the asparagus and finely slice them on a mandolin grater and put the strips into a bowl of iced water. This will make them curl and become firm and crisp. Put the rest of the asparagus in boiling water for 15-30 seconds, then transfer to iced water.
- Tear the rye bread into chunks. Melt and brown some butter (25 gr.) in a pan and fry the chunks of bread in the butter, so they are crunchy on the outside and still soft on the inside. When the croutons are done, salt them lightly and put them on a piece of paper towel to drain off the fat.
- Bring a saucepan of water to the boil. Add a pinch of salt and a dash of vinegar to the boiling water. The vinegar makes the whites firm even faster to prevent them from breaking up in the water.
- Break the eggs into a cup. Turn off the heat and make a swirl in the water with a spoon. The swirl helps the egg white wrap around the yolk. Gently slide the eggs into the swirl and let them poach for about 3 minutes. When the eggs are ready take them out and leave them to dry on a piece of paper.
- Cut the salmon into thick slices, around 1.5 cm. Sear the cured slices of salmon on one side in olive oil on a pan for about a minute so the salmon gets a light crust on one side.
- Melt the rest of the butter (25 gr.) in the pan and add the white wine. Glaze the asparagus in the butter and wine for a minute. Add the slices of shallot and the chopped parsley and give it a stir with the asparagus.
- Arrange the poached eggs in the middle of a plate and place the salmon slices, asparagus and crunchy rye bread chunks around the eggs. Garnish with the raw asparagus strips, red currants, dill stalks and wood sorrel leaves.
