For once, against the usual grain, I've been asked to write a blog article about an aspect of gamification of my choice, but being a bit rebellious, I'm going to propose something entirely different instead. Join me on this journey through a festive double recipe that celebrates... Yuzzzu! (Well, technically, it's yuzu, but you get the idea.) Get your ingredients ready and let's dive into the kitchen. Trust me, it's going to turn out just fine! On the menu today: gin and yuzu gravlax salmon, served with fresh cream, accompanied by a Yuzu Gin Fizz. (This recipe is a guaranteed high scorer in Scrabble with all these X's, Y's, Z's, and their pals!)
Gin and Yuzu Gravlax Salmon, served with fresh cream
Preparation time: ~30min
Resting time: at least 24 hours in the fridge
Ingredients for 4 servings:
1 salmon fillet (unsmoked), approx. 600g
1kg coarse salt (yes, a whole kilogram!)
1kg sugar (yes, that much too!)
5-6 cardamom pods
1dl Gin
1 Yuzzzu (remove 2 Z's and keep the fruit)
Fresh dill, one bunch if available
A few black peppercorns
~200g fresh cream for serving
Rye bread or blinis for serving
Preparation:
Gently remove any fish bones using tweezers. Run your finger over the fish flesh to detect any remaining bones. If the tweezers have been used for other purposes like face care, make sure to wash them thoroughly before and after use.
Keep a peel of the yuzu using a peeler and set it aside for the cocktail. Zest the yuzu and keep the zest aside. Squeeze the juice and reserve it for the cocktail. Finally, separate the pulp from the pips after squeezing and keep it.
If you have a mortar and pestle, roughly crush the cardamom and peppercorns. If not, place the spices in a clean cloth or kitchen paper and utilize the well-known technique of "hitting repeatedly very hard with a pot."
Mix the coarse salt, sugar, crushed spices, yuzu zest, and the gin previously mixed with the yuzu pulp.
In a dish slightly larger than your salmon fillet, create a layer with some of the salt, sugar, and spice mixture. Place your salmon fillet in the center and cover it with the remaining mixture. Ensure the entire fish is generously covered with this crust.
Seal the dish tightly with cling film and place it in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours. The salt and sugar mixture will osmose with the fish flesh, extracting moisture and infusing flavors from the spices and gin.
After the osmosis, remove the fish from the fridge and rinse it thoroughly with cold water.
Place the fish on absorbent paper and pat it dry before slicing.
Mix the fresh cream with a pinch of salt, a little pepper, and the finely chopped dill.
Slice the salmon into thin strips and arrange on a plate according to your patience level, either in delicate rosettes or thrown together.
Let’s eat! Enjoy with bread (or blinis) and the fresh cream.
Yuzu Gin Fizz
Preparation time: Almost no time at all
Resting time: After the effort comes the comfort
Ingredients for 1 glass:
4-5cl gin (fortunately, you can use the same gin as in the salmon recipe, isn't life convenient sometimes?)
1cl sugar syrup
Juice of a yuzu (yes, the same one as before, it's quite amazing, isn't it?)
2dl Ginger Ale
1 small sprig of rosemary for decoration
1 small bunch of dried rosemary (optional)
Preparation:
Fill the serving glass with ice to cool it.
Put some ice cubes in a shaker with the gin, sugar syrup, and yuzu juice. If you don’t have a shaker, two glasses that fit into each other can work, but be gentle to avoid breaking them – that would be unfortunate.
Vigorously mix your shaker.
Empty the ice from the serving glass, place the bunch of dried rosemary in a saucer, and gently set it on fire. Place the serving glass upside down over it to collect the rosemary smoke.
Pour the contents of the shaker into the serving glass.
Top it up with Ginger Ale and garnish with a sprig of rosemary and a slice of yuzu peel.
