Jack Stein's Christmas Eve salmon feast

Jack Stein's Christmas Eve salmon feast

Jack Stein's Christmas Eve feast of salmon tail poached in court bouillon, with miso mayonnaise, pickled cucumber, and new potatoes.

Ingredients (serves four):

Salmon and stock

  • 600g of salmon tail

  • 1.5 litres of water

  • 250 ml dry white wine

  • 50 ml white wine vinegar

  • 1 small onion, sliced

  • 1 small carrot, sliced

  • 1 celery stick, sliced

  • 2 garlic cloves, crushed

  • 1 lemon – zest cut into strips, then the lemon halved

  • 2 bay leaves

  • 10-12 black peppercorns

  • Small handful of parsley stalks

  • 15g salt, plus extra to taste

Miso mayonnaise

  • 120g mayonnaise

  • 20g white miso paste

  • 5g rice vinegar

  • 10g lemon juice

  • 3g light soy sauce

  • 5 to 10g of warm water to loosen if needed

Pickled cucumber with dill

  • 1 cucumber, deseeded, sliced into thin half-moons or ribbons

  • 80ml rice vinegar

  • 40ml water

  • 30g caster sugar

  • 10g fresh dill, chopped

  • Salt and black pepper

New potatoes with chives

  • 600g new potatoes

  • 40g butter or 30ml of extra virgin olive oil

  • Chives, finely chopped

  • Salt and black pepper

Method:

Pickled cucumber

To make the side of pickled cucumber, add the rice vinegar, water, sugar and salt in a small pan. Bring to a simmer so the sugar dissolves and then cool to room temperature.

Place the sliced cucumber in a bowl, then pour over the cooled pickle liquor and add the chopped dill and a few grinds of pepper.

Leave to stand in the fridge for at least 30 minutes – a few hours is even better.

New potatoes

Put the potatoes in a pan with cold salted water. Bring to the boil, then simmer until just tender – this should take between 15 to 20 minutes.

Drain well and let them steam dry in the warm pan for a minute.

Just before serving, toss with butter or olive oil and chopped chives before seasoning with salt and pepper. If you want more surface area for the butter and herbs, lightly crush a few potatoes with the back of a spoon.

Poached salmon in court bouillon

For the court bouillon or stock, add the water, white wine, white wine vinegar, onion, carrot, celery, garlic, lemon zest strips, lemon halves, bay leaves, peppercorns, parsley stalks and salt in a wide pan large enough to hold the salmon in one layer.

Bring the mixture to the boil, then turn down to a gentle simmer – you want movement in the liquid but no rolling boil.

Cook the stock for 20 minutes and then taste and adjust the salt so the liquid is seasoned like a light soup. It must be well seasoned, or the fish will taste flat.

To prepare the salmon, trim the tail into a neat piece if needed and check again for pin bones.

Slide the salmon into the stock, skin side down. The liquid should just cover it, if not, top up with a little hot water and correct the seasoning.

Poach very gently for about 8 to 10 minutes, depending on thickness, until just cooked. The fish should be opaque but still feel slightly springy in the centre.

Turn off the heat and let the salmon sit in the hot bouillon for another 5 minutes.

Lift the salmon out carefully with a slotted spoon or fish slice and drain well. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Miso mayonnaise

Whisk the mayonnaise and white miso together until smooth. Add rice vinegar, lemon juice and soy sauce and whisk again.

If the mixture is too thick, whisk in a little warm water a teaspoon at a time.

Taste and adjust so you have a good balance of salt, umami and acidity.

To serve

When you're ready to serve up your Christmas Eve feast, drain the pickled cucumber side and keep a spoonful of the liquor if you want a sharper hit on the plate.

Arrange the salmon tail on a warm platter or cut into four neat portions.

Add a generous spoon of miso mayonnaise next to the salmon.

Pile the pickled cucumber with dill on the side.

Serve the new potatoes in a separate bowl or on the same plate.

Finally, finish with a little extra dill or chives and a squeeze of fresh lemon. A beautiful, light dish start the festivities.