Beetroot gravadlax

Ingredients:

1 (approx 700g) side of salmon, skin on, pinboned

160g rock salt

50g demerara sugar

40g fresh horseradish, peeled and finely grated (or jarred grated horseradish)

300g raw beetroot, peeled and coarsely grated

50ml plain schnapps or vodka

A large bunch of fresh dill, with flowers if you can get them, flowers reserved, leaves finely chopped

1 lemon

Creamy sauce:

200ml soured cream

1–2 heaped tsp wholegrain mustard

Zest and juice of ½ lemon

A small handful of fresh dill, finely chopped

Serves 10

Prep time 15-20 mins (plus 48 hours in the fridge)

Cook time 0 mins

1. Place the salmon on a large tray, skin-side down, and spoon the rock salt evenly all over the fish – this will draw the moisture out and make it dense and firm enough to carve. Scatter over the sugar to give some sweetness, then spread the grated horseradish and beets all over the salmon so that the flesh is completely covered. Gently pat it down with your hands (you might want to put on rubber gloves to prevent your hands from getting stained). Drizzle over the schnapps, then sprinkle over all your chopped dill and a few dill flowers if you have them.

2. Finely grate over the zest of your lemon, then cover the tray of salmon tightly with cling film. Pop a weight on top to help pack everything down (another tray and a few tin cans usually do the trick), then put it into the fridge for 48 hours.

3. After 2 days, unwrap the fish and hold the fillet down while you pour away the juices from the tray. Use your hands to push away all the toppings (this can be really messy, so again you might want to wear rubber gloves and push the toppings straight into a plastic bag). Wipe everything off, then pat the fillet dry with kitchen paper.

4. Skin-side down, starting at the tail end, carefully cut under the fillet with a really long sharp knife, separating the skin from the fillet. With long rocking motions, angle the knife down slightly towards the skin and carve along the length of the fillet to remove the skin. Trim off any brown bits of fish from underneath, then flip it back over. (If you need more guidance, go to jamieoliver.com/how-to.) Slice what you need as thinly as you can and arrange on a board or plate for serving. Wrap the rest of the salmon fillet in cling film and it will stay happily in your fridge for 2 weeks.

5. Mix all your sauce ingredients together. Have a taste, season with sea salt and black pepper, and add a bit more dill or lemon juice if it needs it. Serve the sauce in a bowl next to your gravadlax.

("Jamie Does" 2010)