Hot-smoked salmon on ginger and cucumber with beurre blanc

This is an exquisite and slightly unusual dish which makes an excellent starter or supper dish.

Hot-smoked salmon is readily available but is best warmed up a little.  If hot-smoked salmon is not available. then salmon is easily hot-smoked either is a hot smoker or on a barbeque with smoking wood chips scattered on the coals.

Preparation Time: 15 Mins

Cooking Time: 15 Mins

Total Time: 30 Mins

Ingredients

For 4 servings…

¾                   Cucumber  

¼ root             Ginger  - peeled and cut into very fine juliennes     

4 steaks           Salmon  - hot smoked

  Beurre blanc    

To garnish

  Parsley          

For the sauce

60 gms            Shallots  - chopped very finely  

2 tbs               Vinegar  - white wine 

4 tbs               Wine  - dry white     

6 tbs               Water       

2 tbs               Cream  - double       

170 gms           Butter  - cut into small pieces   

                     Pepper  - freshly ground, white 

                     Salt          

Method

Peel the cucumber and cut the flesh into very fine juliennes about 5 cm long.  On 4 plates scatter the ginger and cucumber juliennes over them.  Place the salmon steaks on a baking tray and warm them in an oven at 150°C for 5 minutes.  Place each steak on one of the beds of juliennes, pour the sauce around the salmon and garnish with parsley.

For the beurre blanc…

Put the shallots, vinegar, wine and water into a pan and simmer until nearly all the liquid has evaporated.

Add the cream and boil until reduced a little more.

Lower the heat and gradually whisk in the butter, a few pieces at a time, until the sauce has amalgamated.  Season to taste.

Wine recommendations

A fairly robust white wine.

Conventional

     Côtes du Rhône blanc

Interesting

     Côtes du Luberon

     Lirac blanc

     Riesling