Just in time for the holidays, an inspirational recipe to fill your tummies and impress your friends and family. This dish has a slight sweetness due to the sweet & sour cucumbers and sugar snaps but it's balanced out by the spicier horseradish and together it pairs very well with a german Riesling.
Smoked Salmon Wreath
Serves 2
Salad
200-240 g Bawykov smoked Salmon (if you live outside of holland pick the best quality you can find)
Handful of dill
Handful of chervil
1 Cucumber -thinly sliced on a mandolin
6 Quail eggs – hard boiled (3 minutes in hot water, then cooled)
1 ½ t Grated horseradish
60 g Crème fraiche
¼ c Bawykov mustard-dill sauce (a Scandinavian sauce)
10-12 sugar snaps – cut in half lengthwise (revealing their inner beans)
2 little gems lettuce
½ Lemon zested
S&P
Brine
¼ c powdered sugar
½ c rice wine vinegar
½ cup warm water
Pinch of salt
Bawykov smoked salmon can be found in the Netherlands. They also makes their own mustard dill sauce with well-balanced flavors that can be used in many dishes. But you can of course make one or buy one yourself. I am pretty sure Ikeas have this sauce all over the world.
Mix ½ c warm water with ¼ c powdered sugar and mix until the sugar is dissolved. Then add the vinegar and salt and set in a wide bowl.
Slice your cucumber in ribbons with a mandolin very thinly and lay them in the brine for at least a couple of hours. Set in the fridge until ready to use.
Mix your crème fraiche, lemon zest and horseradish together with s&p. Set aside.
Cut sugar snaps and quail eggs in half.
Cut off the bottom of the little gems and peel the layers of the lettuce off gently. Then cut each leaf in half lengthwise.
Very thinly slice the salmon so you can roll them up easier.
Remove the cucumber ribbons from the liquid and set on a paper towel.
Pluck the herbs in nice pieces for garnish.
To plate, using a small spoon, spread out the horseradish cream in a circle wide enough to be seen after laying all the ingredients atop. Then start placing the lettuce, follow with the salmon & cucumber rolls, eggs and sugar snaps. Build a beautiful wreath and lay the herbs around in a way that pleases you. Lastly drizzle with the mustard sauce, add some freshly cracked pepper and serve immediately.