Cured salmon with crème fraîche pastry crisps

Serves 8-10

We're serving this at the restaurant with caviar for even more luxury – but you can omit it if you like. The salmon needs to be cured for 24 hours and it's really worth it – but the same garnish works well with smoked salmon or gravadlax from your fishmonger if you don't have the time.

400g/13oz piece of skinless fillet of salmon or sea trout, pin-boned (ask your fishmonger to do this for you)
100g/31/2oz puff pastry, rolled to 3mm thick

For the cure

1/2 tsp coarse rock salt
The zest and juice of 1 lime
6 juniper berries, crushed
6 tbsp gin
1 bay leaf, finely chopped
1/2 tsp honey

For the crème fraîche mixture

100g/31/2oz crème fraîche
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon horseradish
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice

Mix together all the ingredients for the cure and rub over the salmon. Wrap in clingfilm and refrigerate for 24 hours. Wash off the cure in cold water then pat dry. Cover with clingfilm and refrigerate until required.

To make the pastry crisps, preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas4. Place the pastry on baking paper, on to a baking tray and cook for five minutes. Remove and place the part-baked pastry on to a chopping board. Cut out eight rectangles (about 3cm x 6cm) and place back on the baking paper on the baking tray, and cook for six to 10 minutes, until a deep golden colour.

For the crème fraîche, whisk all of the ingredients together until stiff. Place into a bowl and refrigerate.

To assemble, slice the salmon as thinly as possible, divide by your number of guests and arrange on each plate. Place a quenelle of the crème fraîche on to each plate then three pastry rectangles into the quenelle. Sprinkle with black pepper and garnish with salad cress. Serve immediately.