BEN’S CHRISTMAS STARTER

Ben Rees

Partner Pensions Actuarial, London

What this dish means to me

Every year we host a big Christmas day and invite the whole family.

I have never been a big fan of the traditional Christmas dinner and so we have developed our own traditions. Every year, we begin with a light cured-fish starter before having a main of beef Wellington, Dauphinoise potatoes and brussels sprouts.

This traditional first began with my then-fiancée, 9 years later and it is now a tradition I share with my wife, two children, parents, siblings, cousins…. the list goes on!

Each year, the fish I cure and the accompanying garnishes are slightly tweaked but the general concept remains the same. The version I have shared here is from the Christmas of 2023.

SERVES

MINUTES

(plus overnight)

DIFFICULTY

7/10

INGREDIENTS

FOR CURED FISH:

2 rainbow trout

500g sea salt flakes

500g caster sugar

2 lemons (zest only)

Juniper berries (optional)

FOR THE PICKLED CHERRIES:

250g cherries

300ml water

200ml cider vinegar

100g caster sugar

1 tsp salt

FOR THE WHIPPED RICOTTA:

500g ricotta

1 lemon (zest only)

1 pinch salt

METHOD

Step 1

If you are comfortable with filleting a fish, take the two fresh rainbow trout, remove a fillet from each side and remove the skin. There are many fine bones that need to be removed from rainbow trout with tweezers – other fish such as salmon or mackerel are much easier to pin-bone if you prefer. If you are using pre-filleted fish, try to get some with as long date as possible as you won’t be cooking it.

Step 2

Mix the sea salt flakes, caster sugar, lemon zest and juniper berries together in a bowl to make the cure mix. Sprinkle half of the cure mix into a dish large enough to place the fillets of fish into.

Step 3

Lay the fillets of fish out onto the cure mix making sure that they are not touching each other. Cover with the remaining cure mix and ensure they are completely covered. Wrap with cling-film and place in the fridge overnight (I find it best to do this in the evening and get out first thing in the morning to avoid the fish becoming too salty).

Step 4

In the morning, remove the fish from the cure mix. The fish should be reasonably firm and be much smaller than it started with its moisture removed. Rinse thoroughly and pat dry with kitchen roll.

Step 5

(Both of the pickled cherries and the whipped ricotta can be prepared in advance if you wish, leaving Christmas day to just plate up)

Make the pickling liquor by combining the water, cider vinegar, caster sugar and salt in a saucepan and bring to a simmer. Pit the cherries (a dedicated cherry pitter will make your life much easier!) and add to the saucepan. Keep simmering for 5 minutes and take off the heat. The cherries can be drained after they have pickled for 30 minutes or so.

Step 6

Tip the ricotta into a large bowl and add the lemon zest and a pinch of salt. Whisk for 1 minute until the mixture becomes smooth.

Step 7

Now it is time for plating – how you do this is up to you but I enjoy trying to make it look pretty. I usually start by piping a large dollop of the whipped ricotta into the centre of each place. I then place one fillet (cut length ways into two) on top of the ricotta and sprinkle over a few of the pickled cherries.