Queen Elizabeth State Dinner Starter
CURING SOLUTION:Boil all ingredients. Add sliced fennel to the heat and leave to infuse. When cold, place salmon in the solution and leave to marinade uncovered in a fridge for 24 hours to dry. When marinated cut 8 half inch cubes from the thick part of the salmon.Â
WILD SMOKED SALMON CREAM: Bring crème fraîche to the boil with the trimmings and skin of the smoked salmon. Cool and pass through a sieve. Place in a Pacojet with trimmed smoked salmon and freeze. When frozen, blend and fold in a further 150/200g of crème fraîche.Season with:1 tsp lemon juice,½ tsp tabasco,4 pinches smoked paprika,Salt and pepper.
LEMON BALM JELLY:200g celery,1 clove garlic,200ml white wine,50 ml white wine vinegar,2 l still mineral water,300g fennel,10g ginger, 2 star anise,30 black peppercorns,1 tbsp of lemon puree, 8 leaves of gelatin to 1 litre of liquid. Bring all ingredients together and cover. Simmer for 40 minutes on a low heat. Pass onto 200g of lemon verbena and 200g of lemon balm. Leave to infuse for 2 to 3 hours while covered. Pass through a muslin and set with gelatin.
HORSERADISH CREAM:200g good quality crème fraîche1 tbsp horseradish puree1 tbsp white wine vinegarPinch of saltWhisk the crème fraîche and add the horseradish and vinegar just before it gets to a stiff peak. Put into a small plastic bottle.
WATERCRESS PUREE:500g watercress2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce300ml single cream, reduced by halfSalt and pepperBlanch and refresh watercress, squeeze as much water out as possible in a paper towel. Freeze in pacojet container. When frozen, pour in the reduced cream and season with the Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper. Pass through a sieve. Put in a small plastic bottle.
PICKLED VEGETABLE20 small shallot or grelotte onion rings20 slices of radish
PICKLING SOLUTION200 ml apple vinegar brought to the boil with50g of sugar2/3 generous pinches of saltLeave vegetables to marinade for 2 hours in the solution.
GARNISHChive Flowers & Organic Rapeseed OilPlace 25g of wild smoked salmon cream into a consommé bowl and cover with 100ml of lemon balm jelly. Chill for 3-4 hours. Garnish with 2 cubes of cured salmon, 3 radish and 3 onion rings, 3 dots of horseradish cream and 3 dots of watercress puree. Then place 5 or 6 chive fl owers and 1 tspn of cold pressed rapeseed oil.