Getting ahead and planning
- The cider caramel can be made the day before and placed in the fridge until required.
- The lemon & parsley dressing can be made a few hours before required and placed in the fridge until required
- The potatoes are best made on the day however, if you prefer you could make them the day before, cool them down, then cling film and place in the fridge until required. To re-heat the potatoes place in the microwave for 2-3 minutes or until hot
Cider & Black Pepper Caramel Method
- Place the sugar and vinegar into a heavy-based sauce pan and boil until it turns a caramel colour.
- Remove from the heat and carefully add the cider (be careful as the sugar may boil up and will be extremely hot)
- Add the cracked black pepper and salt, place back on a low heat for a couple of minutes, gently stir until the sugar is dissolved.
- Leave to cool then place in the fridge until required.
Lemon & Parsley Dressing Method
- Chop the parsley, pine nuts & capers and place in a small dish. Then add the lemon zest, juice and oil, season and stir together.
- Alternatively place all the ingredients into a blender and pulse 3-4 times or until the right consistency is achieved
- Cover and place in fridge until required
Sautéed Leeks Method
- Slice the leeks into 2cm thick rounds
- Heat a frying pan big enough to hold all the leeks flat
- Add the butter and melt
- Place the leeks into the pan (flat) and season. Cook on a medium to low heat for 1-2 minutes or until lightly coloured.
- Turn the leeks over (onto the other flat side) and add the water.
- Cover the pan with a lid or a sheet of tin foil and cook on a medium to low heat for 8 – 10 minutes or until the leeks are soft. Check halfway through cooking to see the leeks aren’t burning, add a little extra water if required.
- When the leeks are almost cooked remove the lid and reduce any remaining liquid.
- To finish sprinkle the leeks with the herbs and a little extra cracked black pepper
Method for cooking the Salmon & making Garlic & Potato Puree
- Cut the top off the garlic bulb, brush the garlic with olive oil and season with salt & pepper. Loosely wrap in foil.
- Place the garlic in the oven 180ºc fan for 40 minutes or until the garlic is soft when pressed. Once cooked, remove the garlic from the oven and leave to cool for a few minutes before squeezing the garlic out of its skin and place to one side.
- Place your salmon fillets on a baking tray, making sure that it has been lined with greaseproof paper
The fillets should be cooked skin side up if you like the skin to be crisp, or cooked skin side down if not
Season with salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil - Place the peeled potatoes into a pan of salted water and cook until tender (about 10 – 15 minutes). Drian the potatoes well and leave to dry for a few minutes.
- Place your baking tray with salmon fillets in the oven for 22 minutes or until cooked through
- Put the potatoes into a blender along with the roast garlic and blitz until smooth slowly adding the olive oil until all the oil is incorporated.
- Remove the potatoes from the blender, taste and adjust the seasoning if required.
Assembly
- Place the potato puree into the centre of the plate and with the back of a spoon make a well.
- Put the leeks in the centre of the potatoes and drizzle a little lemon & parsley dressing over the leeks and around the plate
drizzle a little cider caramel around the plate - Place the salmon on top of the leeks and garnish with pea shoots or micro herbs (if using)