Jamie's beetroot-vodka cured salmon

Some time before Christmas I was watching Jamie making this "Gravad lax" (he called it by its Swedish name) on TV. Due to the inviting Christmassy colour I couldn't resist the temptation to try it out with a nice salmon fillet that was waiting in my fridge. The burgundy colour of the beetroot turned out beautifully and the horseradish gave the salmon a peppery taste. Don't leave out the vodka, because it delivers both taste- and structurewise.

The recipe comes from Jamie's Christmas Cookbook with some minor adjustments.

Ingredients:

200 g raw beets

100 g rock salt (I used sea salt)

50 g demerera sugar

50 ml vodka

1 big bunch of fresh dill (60g)

1 lemon

50 g fresh or jarred grated horseradish (fresh is better flavourwise)

700 g salmon fillet, scaled, skin on, pin-boned (from sustainable sources)

1. Peel and trim the beets and place in a food processor with the salt, sugar, vodka and dill.

2. Finely grate in the lemon zest, add the horseradish, finely grating if fresh, then blitz until combined.

3. Rub a little mixture on to the salmon skin, then place the Salmon on a large tray, skin side down, and pat the remaining mixture all over it so that the flesh is completely covered.

4. Cover the tray tightly with clingfilm. Pop a weight on top to help pack everything down evenly, then put the whole thing into the fridge for 36 hours. Please use your instincts here - if you have a particularly chunky side of salmon you may want to leave it for up to 48 hours to allow for proper penetration.

5. Once cured, unwrap the fish, then, holding the fillet in place, pour the juices down the sink and rub away all the salty topping (it's messy, so you may want to wear gloves).

6. Pat the fillet dry with kitchen paper, then tightly wrap it in clingfilm (you can add fresh dill for flavour before wrapping it). Put back into the fridge until needed, where it will keep happily for up to 2 weeks.

7. To serve, use a long sharp knife to slice the salmon thinly at an angle and, as the knife touches the skin each time, kink it off, lifting away the salmon.

8. Arrange the slices on a board or platter as you go. Delicious with a simple salad and good wholemeal sourdough, as part of a seafood platter, served up at a party or even as a part of a festive brekkie spread.