Fish - Cure it or Gently Smoke it
I hope you enjoyed episode 6, here are the notes and a recipe below
I discussed the simplicity of approaching fish and what to look for when buying.
When buying fish, it’s important to know what to look for to ensure freshness and quality. Here’s a simple guide:
White Fish: These fish, like cod, haddock, and tilapia, have light, lean flesh with a mild flavour. They’re low in fat, making them a go-to for light and delicate dishes. White fish cooks quickly and is often flaky, perfect for grilling, pan frying and gentle smoke
Oily Fish: Think salmon, mackerel, and sardines. These fish have darker, richer flesh and are packed with healthy fats like omega-3s. Oily fish are flavourful and hearty, great for smoking, grilling and curing!
Place the salt, sugar, dill stems and gin in a bowl and mix.
Add the Salmon Fillets and make sure they are completely covered in the cure mix.
Place in Fridge for at least 8hours, overnight is better
Combine equal parts sour cream and horseradish sauce into a dish and stir.
Prep the cucumber. Remove the seeds and the skin and finely dice. Sprinkle with salt and rest for 15minutes. Then drain the pieces and dry them out with a clean tea towel. Add equal parts gin, sugar and white wine vinegar and stir. Make enough pickle mix to just cover the cucumbers.
I ran the cream on the base and then topped it with sliced salmon. I then added the slices of radish, dill pieces and a small spoonful of the cucumber gin pickle. I squeezed my lemon over and topped it with black pepper. Get creative!
Prepare your cobb for indirect cooking and soak some wood chips
Once the cobb is ready, roast your peppers. Add the tomatoes half way through. This should take around 40-50mins.
Same approach as previous episodes;
Soften the shallot,
add garlic,
de-glaze with red wine
Add the peppers, tomatoes, chopped olives, capers and paprika. At this point, I add some balsamic, red wine vinegar and a little bit of maggi stock. You can add a little splash of water too. Simmer for a few minutes and then let it rest, reheat before plating.
Add the damp wood chips to the charcoal, then place you fish on the roast rack and close the lid. Leave it for around 10-15mins and then check your internal temperature. You are aiming for 57c and then remove the fish!
I like to peel back some of the skin and then spoon the tapenade over the fish. I top it with a grilled lemon and enjoy with a glass of wine and some rustic bread! Enjoy!