Tom Aikens' salmon ceviche recipe is elegantly prepared with notes of vanilla, peppercorns and dill. Citrus juices and delicately balanced seasoning gently 'cook' the salmon, leaving the flesh incredibly tender and full of flavour. The trick is not to 'overcook' the fish
Method
1.
Trim the salmon by removing the tail and belly strip so you are left with an oblong piece. This will be cut into 3 after marinating
Trimming salmon
You can keep the off-cuts of the salmon for a fish pie
2.
Mix the lemon zest, chopped dill, sugar, salt and peppers together. Sprinkle half the mixture onto a tray, making a bed the width and length of the salmon. Lay the salmon skin side down
3.
Sprinkle the rest of the mixture on top of the fish and then cover with another flat tray. Place a weight onto the tray and leave the salmon in the fridge for 6 hours
4.
Remove the salmon from the marinade and lightly wash. Pat dry. Cut into 3 pieces, and thinly slice 400g in total. Arrange on squares of greaseproof paper, cover tightly with cling film and chill
Keeping leftover fish
You can use the remainder of the fish up to 4 days later, but make sure you keep it chilled
5.
To make the dressing, first split the vanilla pod in half, scrape the seeds out and cut into 1cm pieces. Sweat the shallots in the olive oil until they are soft but not coloured
6.
Add the salt, pepper and pink peppercorns, vanilla pieces and vanilla seeds, and cook for 3-4 mins until just soft
7.
Add the sugar, honey and white wine vinegar and reduce the mix by half until it is syrupy
8.
Add the lemon juice, vegetable oil, olive oil and vanilla essence
Bring to a simmer then take off the heat and cool as quickly as possible. Store in a jar
9.
To make the dill crème fraiche, simply mix all of the ingredients together
10.
To serve, spread some crème fraiche on the centre of each plate in a circle. Layer the 100g salmon slices on each, making sure it doesn’t look too flat
11.
Stir the vinaigrette well, drizzle over the salmon, and season with a small amount of Maldon sea salt, and fresh milled pepper
12.
Scatter over the crushed pink peppercorns, mixed baby cress, chopped shallots, chives, and sprigs of dill. Finish with some more dressing and a little lemon juice
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