Hot Smoked Akaroa Salmon Entree

Whole Akaroa Salmon

1. Cut behind head of salmon, angling knife toward front of salmon.
2. Cut down to bone and follow line through to just behind fins on gut cavity.
3. Hold belly flap up, slide fillet knife along spine with "sawing" motion.
4. Keep knife tilted slightly down towards spine to ensure the most meat removal. Remove fillet.
5. Repeat with other fillet.
6. Trim off any bones that remain on salmon.
7. Place fillet skin side down on clean board.
8. Hold tail end the use a flexible fillet knife to cut to skin.
9. Gently pull skin with guiding knife between skin and flesh in one long smooth slicing action.
10. Pin bone salmon fillet. Cut and portion into 6 pieces.
11. Marinate cut salmon with BUITONI Coulis marinade.
12. Place prepared Akaroa Salmon in fridge.

BUITONI Coulis marinade for Akaroa Salmon

1. Use cheese cloth and squeeze BUITONI Sugo al Pomodoro Tomato Coulis to get enough juice out.
2. Keep pulp for cracker.
3. Mix juice, brown sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice and fresh thyme to form marinade.
4. Season appropriately.
5. Marinate salmon pieces at least 15 minutes before smoking them.

To smoke Akaroa Salmon

1. Place Manuka wood chip under smoking tray.
2. Drizzle with water so it does not burn easily.
3. Grease wire rack then place salmon pieces on top.
4. Season with sea salt and cracked pepper.
5. Hot smoke it for 8 minutes.
6. Reduce marinade to glaze pieces later.
7. Once smoked, place salmon in a tray to finish in oven for another 2-3 minutes.
8. Glaze with reduced marinade while still hot.
9. Rest before serving.

Akaroa Salmon egg

1. Scraped clean Akaroa Salmon frame.
2. Flavour tartar with lemon oil and season appropriately.

NZ grown winter vegetables nest dressing

1. Roast cumin and caraway seeds.
2. Grind coarsely in mortar.
3. Add champagne vinegar and sugar.
4. Add grounded cumin and caraway seeds.
5. Adjust seasoning.

NZ grown vegetables nest salad

1. Use mandolin to thinly shave cauliflower, red onion and yellow beetroot.
2. Peel celery and purple baby carrots, then shave with peeler.
3. Put all prepared vegetables in a bowl.
4. Dress before serving.

Black and white cauliflower noodles

1. Slice brown onion and sweat with oil in medium size pot.
2. Add cauliflower and cook for another minute.
3. Add water, MAGGI Classic Onion Bullion and thyme.
4. Bring to the boil.
5. Adjust seasoning.
6. Once the vegetables are soft, puree them with high-speed blender.
7. Measure 500ml of stock and put in a clean small pot.
8. Cool stock down.
9. Blend agar into cold stock with stick blender.
10. Bring cold stock to boil and simmer for two minutes, constantly whisking.
11. Add guar gum last.
12. Allow to cool slightly.
13. Using a syringe fill plastic noodle tube that has been taped up at one end, submerge white noodle into prepared ice water.
14. Once set, use empty syringe and blow noodle out.
15. For the black noodle, add Japanese virgin bamboo charcoal with half of the prepared stock and repeat using the same method.

Verde gel

1. Blanch and refresh herbs then cool very quickly using ice water.
2. Add the water, MAGGI Classic Onion Bullion, garlic, gherkins, capers, shallot, lemon zest and agar.
3. Bring stock to boil then blend with hand blender, as it boils, for 2 minutes.
4. Blend in xantham gum and blanched herbs then pour into tray and allow to set.
5. Once set, place into high speed blender with lemon juice and vinegar, blend until smooth.

BUITONI Coulis and Poppy Seed Cracker

1. Add all flours and yeast, mix until combined.
2. Add warm water, honey and molasses together.
3. Mix wet mixture into dry then add BUITONI Coulis pulp.
4. Knead until dough is elastic and firm.
5. Place dough in oiled bowl, turn to coat dough in olive oil.
6. Cover and let prove until double in size.
7. Punch down and rest for another three minutes.
8. Roll out to the size of a small sheet pan.
9. Cut or shape to desired pattern.
10. Brush with olive oil.
11. Sprinkle with poppy seeds, sea salt and cracked pepper.
12. Rest at room temperature before baking.
13. Bake for 3-4 minutes at 200°C.

Beetroot glaze

1. Juice 500g of New Zealand grown red beetroot to get 250ml of its juice.
2. Combine juice, red wine and red wine vinegar in a small saucepan over medium heat.
3. Simmer for about 10 minutes or until the liquid reduces and forms a glaze.

To plate

1. Design a strip on the plate with a beetroot reduction.
2. Place smoked Akaroa Salmon on the side.
3. Assemble New Zealand grown vegetables salad to a bird nest look
4. Top the nest with black and white cauliflower noodles.
5. Quenelle Akaroa Salmon tartar and place it on top of salad nest.
6. Pipe Verde gel around the nest.
7. Decorate salad nest with edible flowers.
8. Place BUITONI tomato cracker on side of smoked Akaroa Salmon.