Beetroot and horseradish salmon

• By Nick Camilleri Preziosi and Alex Mattei

For 12 people, you will need:

One beetroot (boiled and peeled), 200g of horseradish, two level tablespoonfuls of large-crystal rock-salt, four level tablespoonfuls of sugar, a teaspoonful of black peppercorns (crushed), one kilo of fresh salmon (in two pieces of a similar size, and filleted, de-scaled, de-boned, but not skinned), a tablespoonful of brandy, a bunch of fresh dill (keep some aside for garnishing).

Mix together the salt, sugar and pepper, and rub a layer of the mixture over both sides of the fish (i.e. skin-side and flesh-side). Now roughly grate the horseradish and the beetroot so that the salmon is completely covered. Sprinkle it with brandy. Put a third of the dill in a shallow dish. Put in one piece of salmon skin-side down. Put another third of the dill on top. On this, place the other piece of salmon skin-side up and then the remaining dill (except for the garnish). Wrap the salmon in cling-film, making sure this is sealed together properly. Weigh the packet of salmon down with a heavy plate for 24-36 hours (according to one’s taste – the longer, the stronger the taste). There’s no need to refrigerate it. The salmon will absorb the flavour and colour of the beetroot. Then remove it from the cling-film, rinse it and pat it dry. Serve this salmon on buttered brown bread with mustard sauce, sliced very thinly with a long sharp knife.