Christmas brunch: beetroot-cured smoked salmon with dill yoghurt and rye bread
Christmas brunch: beetroot-cured smoked salmon with dill yoghurt and rye bread
Whether your morning starts with present opening, a much-deserved lie-in or a brisk walk with the dogs, there’s no better way to continue it than with a suitably celebratory breakfast. So, with that in mind, the team at our café, The Provenist, have put together a series of three recipes that go beyond your usual toast to elevate Christmas morning breakfast into something special. This is the first: a make-ahead Scandinavian-inspired take on that festive classic: smoked salmon. Makes enough for four as a starter or light brunch.
What you’ll need
300g cooked beetroot (not pickled)
100g sea salt
160g soft light brown sugar
2 fillets of good quality salmon
A small bunch of dill
5 tbsp Greek yoghurt (or a dairy-free alternative)
1 lemon, zest only
Cracked black pepper
4 slices of rye bread
Soft boiled eggs (optional, one or two per person)
What to do
- In a food processor, puree the beetroot with the salt and sugar.
- Place the salmon fillets on top of a large piece of cling film and pour the beetroot mixture (the cure) all over the salmon, ensuring it’s completely covered.
- Sandwich the two fillets together (one on top of the other with the cure in the middle) and wrap them tightly in cling film.
- Place in the fridge for 12 hours. After 12 hours, take out and pour away any excess liquid before re-sandwiching, re-wrapping and placing back in the fridge for another 12 hours. The salmon needs a minimum of 24 hours to cure but can stay in the fridge for up to three days.
- When you’re ready to serve the salmon, take it out of the cling film and carefully wash off the cure, being gentle or the colour will fade.
- Place the salmon on a chopping board, take a sharp knife and cut lengthways at an angle, down towards the skin, so you get long ribbons of salmon.
- Finely chop the dill and stir through the yoghurt with the zest of the lemon and a generous amount of cracked black pepper.
- Toast your rye bread and, if including, boil your eggs. To serve, place all the elements on a large wooden board so everyone can help themselves.
Why not also try our poached eggs with cashew hollandaise, spinach and sourdough, or caramelised apple porridge with maple hazelnuts?
