Hot smoked salmon blinis with a courgette salad
Dainty smoked salmon blinis are perfectly complemented by the spicy courgette salad.
For this recipe, you will need a smoker and wood-chip shavings.
Ingredients
For the hot smoked salmon
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp clear honey
- 2 x 125g/4½oz salmon fillets
- handful oak, applewood or cherrywood wood-chip shavings
For the blinis
- 5g yeast
- 225ml/8fl oz milk
- 1 free-range egg yolk
- 100˛µ/3½´Çłú rye flour
- 75˛µ/2Âľ´Çłú white bread flour
- pinch sugar
- pinch salt
- 2 free-range egg whites
- 2 tbsp olive oil
For the courgette salad
- 2 large courgettes, julienned
- 15mm/â…ťin piece fresh root ginger, grated
- 2 garlic cloves, grated
- 1 red chilli, finely chopped
- 1–2 tsp fresh lemon juice
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- bunch of fresh chives, snipped
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
For the hot smoked salmon, brush the soy and honey over the salmon fillets and leave to marinate for 1 hour. Put the fillets on the rack of a smoker and place on the hob over a high heat until the shavings start to smoulder. (Keep an eye on the smoker and shavings throughout the cooking). Close the smoker, turn down the heat and cook for 5 minutes, or until the salmon is moist but not overcooked. Leave the salmon to cool slightly before removing from the smoker.
For the blinis, mix the yeast, milk and egg yolk in a small bowl. Place the flours, sugar and salt into a large bowl and create a well in the centre. Pour the milk mixture gradually into the well and mix thoroughly to combine. Beat the egg whites in a small bowl until they form stiff peaks. Fold the egg whites into the flour mixture.
Heat the oil in frying pan and drop a tablespoon of mixture into the hot oil. Turn over the blini when the underside is firm and cook until both sides are golden brown. Repeat until all the mixture is used up. Keep the cooked blinis warm.
For the courgette salad, blanch the courgette in boiling, salted water for 10 seconds, refresh and drain well. Place the ginger, garlic, chilli, lemon juice and oil in a small bowl and mix to combine. Season with salt and pepper and pour the dressing over the courgette. Sprinkle with the chives.
Serve the hot smoked salmon on top of the blinis, with the courgette salad on the side.
