Gravadlax

One of the great successes over the Christmas period was the gravadlax my dad made. Cured in salt, sugar and dill for 5 days, it had a beautiful flavour and the four of us ate an entire side with our fingers, as Dad sliced wafer-thin strips for us. We never bother with the sweet mustard sauce, as we like it perfectly as it is. I managed to snaffle some to take home with me; some was eaten as is and the rest went into a warm salad.

A bunch of multicoloured beetroot was roasted so that its flavour intensified, its earthy nutty sweetness shining through. Toasted walnuts were given an extra oomph with the use of walnut oil in the dressing and curls of gravadlax draped on top. This all nestled in the peppery rocket; it makes a great starter, or a wintry main course salad. I know, I know, winter and salad shouldn't be uttered in the same sentence, but after a few days of meaty indulgences it hit the spot.


Gravadlax, Beetroot & Walnut Salad


Serves 2 as a starter, 1 as a main

200gr gravadlax
1 bunch (about 250gr) of beetroot - I used multicoloured, but you don't have to
2 tbsp olive oil
2 handfuls of rocket
1 handful of walnuts
3 tbsp walnut oil
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
Salt & pepper

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees C. Without breaking the skin, toss the beets in the olive oil and roast for 30 - 40 minutes. You should be able to insert a skewer into them easily. Leave to cool.

When cool, peel the beets and slice into quarters. Toast the walnuts lightly in a non-stick frying pan without any oil. To assemble, combine the walnut oil, vinegar and salt and pepper to taste. Toss the beets and the rocket in the dressing and add to a bowl. Scatter the walnuts on top, and lastly top with thinly sliced strips of gravadlax.