Old Salt Rum smoked Salmon

As the garden party season swings into high summer time for the essential hot smoked salmon.

Kicked off with 3kg of salmon fillet (serves 10) from the superb Colin at Fish in Newmarket.

My cure - 250ml Old Salt Rum, 1kg of Rock Salt and 300g of dark molasses. Smear the fillets in the mix and leave covered in the fridge for 24 hours.

Next on our cheap BBQ waited until the char' was white and flame less. Dipped a couple of good slabs of apple wood in water and placed on the cinders. Then cover loosely with foil to allow the smoke the circulate. I placed the salmon on a disposable aluminium tray I had pierced lots of holes in with a knife.

Smelt fantastic. The damp generates lots of smoke! So beware! Two hours did the job, with lots of checking to make sure there was lots of smoke, but no flames!

Looks superb and smells better. Avoided a sneaky pick for breakfast. Roll on this evening!

Cooking with Dr J's Gin

Cooking is one of my passions.

This is a quick-ish little number that is delish. Pan-seared chicken breast with a Dr J's Gin, leak, mushroom, blue cheese and tarragon sauce, served with new potatoes and whatever good veg you have to hand.

The sauce takes about 30 mins so kick off with that.

Sauce: hot pan add good butter - 2 tbsp - two thinly sliced field mushrooms and a thinly sliced stalk of a leak plus a good grind of fresh black pepper. Cook until the leak is nearly transparent and has unravelled. Next in goes a third to half a bottle of Dr J's Gin, reduce to a syrup. Add a pint of chicken stock, reduce to a third. Add a heap tsp of Dijon mustard, stir and add 50g of your favourite blue cheese. Cropwell is always good. Stir and add 200ml of double cream. Bring to a simmer. Take off the heat. Sprinkle on a tbsp of finely chopped tarragon and cover. Warm through again prior to serving.




Make a paste for the chicken breasts: in a m&p grind up 1 heap tsp of fennel and half a chicken stock cube. Empty into a bowl, add 1 tsp of honey, 1 tbsp of olive oil and a 1/2 tsp of finely chopped rosemary. Blend together and coat the chicken breasts with this.

In a hot pan sear skin side down for 90 seconds, flip over and place the pan in the medium oven for 12 minutes. Leave the chicken rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Damn delish.