Hot Smoked Salmon with Dill Bretonne Sauce

We once did a house swap to Helsinki where I sampled the magic of Finnish smoke-box cooking.  We don't have smoke-boxes in Ireland but I developed this variation for covered barbeque which works spectacularly well with salmon.

Ingredients

• Allow 170g to 200g salmon per person - either in one piece or individual darnes
• Soy sauce
• Olive oil

Method

• Marinade the salmon flesh side down in soy and olive oil for a while. Not strictly necessary but it seasons the fish well and imparts a lovely golden colour.
• Sprinkle damp wood chips on coals, place salmon aside from coals cover with lid (with lid vent placed to draw smoke over fish) and leave to smoke for 15 to 25 mins (depending on thickness of fish) until fish is cooked through

This is especially good served with dill Bretonne sauce

BRETONNE SAUCE

Ingredients

• 50g melted butter
• 2 egg yolks
• 1 tsp dijon mustard
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp finely chopped dill

Method

• Melt the butter and allow to boil
• Whisk the egg yolks, mustard, lemon juice and herbs together.
• Whisk the hot melted butter into the egg mixture little by little so the sauce emulsifies.
• Can be kept warm over bowl of hot (not boiling) water

The Perfect Cherry Clafoutis

(Serves 6)

• 
  
• 500g fresh cherries 
• 75g caster sugar 
• 3 tbsp kirsch or other brandy 
• 20g butter, melted, plus extra to grease 
• 2 tbsp demerara sugar 
• 50g plain flour 
• Pinch of salt 
• 2 eggs, beaten 
• 270ml whole milk 
• 3 drops of almond essence (optional) 
• Finely grated zest of ½ lemonWash the cherries and remove the stalks. Put in a bowl and lightly crush, so the skins pop but the fruit retains its shape. Add 2 tbsp caster sugar and the kirsch, toss together, cover and leave to macerate for two hours.

Preheat the oven to 180C/gas mark 6. Grease a baking dish just wide enough to hold the cherries in one layer, and add half the demerara sugar. Spin the dish round to coat the inside with demerara, then set aside.

Sift the flour into a mixing bowl and add a pinch of salt and the remaining caster sugar. Whisk in the eggs, followed by the milk and melted butter, until you have a smooth batter. Stir in the almond essence, if using, and the lemon zest, then tip in the cherries and their juices.

Pour into the prepared baking dish and bake for about half an hour, until just set but still a bit wobbly. Sprinkle with the remaining demerara sugar and serve warm, rather than hot.