Organic Irish Salmon, home-grown Beetroot and wild stuff.

'Glenarm' Atlantic Salmon, ‘Portavogie Prawns’, garden beetroot, horseradish, wild leaves and ‘Dulse’ seaweed salad, crunchy brown bread crumbs

 Famous for the quality of salmon Glenarm is a village on the spectacular scenic coastal drive that links the Nine Glens of Antrim connecting land and sea with pretty villages, waterfalls, tiny harbours and the glamour of castles in a natural beauty, little wonder the Giants Causeway is also situated on this stretch of coast. We used to spend a lot of summers on this with my aunt Kathleen who lived in Carnlough another one of the picturesque villages, time was spent swimming in its wonderful bay,digging bait for fishing from the habour walls-though we never did manage to catch one of the glistening salmon you see landed by the day boats for sale to the local hotels, and gathering 'dulse' on the rocky stretch towards Garron point, we'd dry it on a small outhouse roof, some for selling to local shops and some for eating on the go.Food always tastes good here, home baked and fresh local produce cooked with soul and a twist of 'dulse' that's pure  'umami'.

Portavogie on the Ards peninsula a fishing port famous for its prawns is situated on the north Down coast. I’m going combine the salmon and prawns with taste from land and sea, from the garden and wild, sweet earthy and spicy flavours that present a balance of flavour texture and colours.   

For four persons.                                                                                                    

1lb organic atlantic salmon fillet

8  portavogie prawns- langoustines, shelled and deveined

 2oz cooked beetroot, diced

 4oz  fresh raw beetroot juice

1/4oz fresh horseradish

Handful of wild leaves.ie wood sorrel washed and dried, 'ramps' wild garlic

Twist of dulse, or pepper-seaweed

 2oz brown sodabread, roughly crumbed and fried in a little butter until crunchy.

2oz heavy cream, lightly beaten

1/2 stick butter

2fl oz dry cider

2fl oz birch sap or fish stock

1 tspn cider vinegar

Salt and pepper.

Method

Place the beetroot juice in a tall narrow beaker and process with a stick blender until it foams, this foam will hold naturally 10-15 mins

Divide the salmon into four portions, season lightly with salt and pepper,

Pour the cider, vinegar and birch sap into a pot [just large enough to fit the salmon pieces] bring to the boil remove from the heat and place the salmon pieces into it flesh side down, put the lid on  the pot and return to a low heat for 2mins, remove from the heat take out the salmon and keep it warm.

Put the pot back onto the heat turn it up when the liquids boiling again add the horse radish and cream reduce the heat and leave to simmer

To cook the prawns wrap each in a little piece of seaweed and add to the sauce to and cook  for 1-2mins depending on size, or fry in the butter from the bread crumbs, crunchy seaweeds good too. Remove the prawns and keep warm with the salmon.

To warm the beetroot just set the pieces into the pot, don’t shake or stir and you keep a contrast of colour.

To present this dish set a piece of salmon skin side up just off centre on a warm plate set on the prawn’s spoon on the beetroot and horseradish cream. Then spoon a little beetroot foam unto each. Finally sprinkle on a few crumbs and wood sorrel.