A collaboration with ‘Colab Pantry’ ( colabpantry.com.au )

Isn’t it interesting how very testing times can bring about fresh ideas and inspired projects.
This year I was lucky enough to chat with the team at Colab Pantry, and online initiative borne out of the lockdowns and restrictions of Covid in Melbourne through 2020-2021. Through this company, local food industries and restaurants have been able to provide the most delicious products online, and continue to trade in this way. Such a great idea that I am so pleased to see flourish.
I’ve been spoilt for choice selecting the ingredients to inspire this recipe.
I wanted to create a very pink and romantic dish, so where better to head than local salmon and caviar.
The amazingly pretty Yarra Valley Bloody Shiraz gin caviar really acted as a springboard for the rest of this dish. Made locally by Yarra Valley Caviar, the colour is amazing and the little pops of salmon with the hint of the infused gin are delicious.
I used @fourpillarsgin in the salmon cure - another yummy local product, along with beetroot, and the pretty pink accompaniments have taken off from there, a lovely balance of salty, sweet and sour to balance the fish.
Serve with creme fraiche coloured with dried beetroot powder (to make it pink) - though you could use a little beetroot juice for the same effect.
My last favourite component of this dish is the quick pickled red onion - so easy and beautiful as well. I use this everywhere - in burgers, on sandwiches, straight up, and here as well. It never lasts - my son eats this stuff by the spoonful.

See links to Colab Pantry and ingredients below.

Ingredients

For the Gravlax:

600g salmon fillets with skin on
150g raw caster sugar
150g sea salt
3 pieces organic orange rind (cut from a fresh orange)
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
50ml gin (I used Four Pillar Olive Leaf Gin)
200g beetroot - peeled and cut into rough cubes.

For the quick pickled red onion:

1 large red onion
4 teaspoons raw caster sugar
1 teaspoon sea salt
6 peppercorns
good pinch fennel seeds
50ml white wine vinegar

To serve:

1/2 cup fresh micro herbs (such as sorrel) - rinsed and refreshed in ice water
1/2 cup creme fraiche mixed with a little beetroot juice or powder.
1 tin Bloody Shiraz Gin Caviar (or salmon caviar)

Instructions:

To make the gravlax:

In a blender or food processor, blitz the sugar, salt, orange rind, pepper, coriander seeds and gin until well combined and there are no large chunks. Add the beetroot and blitz again until smooth.
Score the salmon skin with a sharp knife.
Place the salmon in a large zip lock back or onto two large pieces of cling film and spread all over with the cure mixture.
Seal the bag or wrap the salmon tightly in the cling film.
Place it in a sided tray and weigh it down with 2 or 3 food cans or bottles on top of another tray.
Refrigerate for 48 hours, flipping the salmon 1/2 way through to even out the spread of the curing mixture.
To serve, rinse off the cure and pat the salmon dry with a little paper towel. Slice with a sharp knife into thin strips.

For the quick pickled red onion:

Finely slice one large red onion into rings.
Place in a microwave proof bowl and add salt, sugar and vinegar, and spices.
Cover the bowl and microwave the onions on high for 1 minute. Stir thoroughly then microwave on high for another minute or until the onions are soft and translucent. Allow the onions to cool in the pickle liquid and serve.

To serve:

Place small dollops of the creme fraiche on a serving plate.

Arrange strips of salmon, blobs of caviar and creme fraiche and pickled onion on the plate and finish with fresh herbs.

Perfect with homemade buckwheat blinim fresh rye bread or rye crackers.

Supplies:

Bloody Shiraz Gin caviar

Four Pillars Gin

Salmon portions

Creme fraiche and

fresh beetroot (seasonal) available through: