Cooking With Gin

Prep Time: 20 minutes | Cook Time: 20 minutes | 4 serves (for both risotto and salmon)

Ingredients
Tbsp unsalted butter
½ cup Yellow onion, diced finely
1 ½ cups Arborio or carnaroli rice
1/4 cup Dry white wine
2 Medium red beets
5/6 cups Stock (vegetable)
3 tbs Heavy cream
100g Stracciatella cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
Dill for garnish

Method
1. Boil and Peel the beets and blend using a food processor with a little oil.
2. Heat up the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat, then add the onion and a pinch of salt.
3. Cook, stirring, until the onions are soft and translucent.
4. Add the beets and cook until tender, about 5 minutes.
5. Add the rice and stir, coating the grains fully until they’re shiny and warm.
6. Add the wine and stir, until it’s fully absorbed.
7. Add the stock 1/2 cup at a time, bringing it to a soft simmer (you might need to adjust the heat every so often), stirring.
8. Once the liquid is absorbed, add another ½ cup of stock.
Taste every so often to see if you need more salt, and continue adding the stock, half a cup at a time, always stirring with a wooden spoon, making sure the rice doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan.
9. Just before all the final liquid evaporates, stir in the stracciatella, parmesan and butter. Cook until all the liquid is absorbed and the risotto firm but creamy. If you need to, add more stock, 1/4 of a cup at a time.
10. Serve the risotto in four plates and top with thinly sliced negroni salmon. Garnish with fresh dill

Salmon needs to be prepped 48 hours in advance

Ingredients
850g Rock salt
375g Sugar
1 tsp Whole pink peppercorns
2 Oranges, zest
50ml Campari
80ml HM Orange Squeeze Gin
50ml Sweet vermouth
1.1kg Salmon side, skin on and pin-boned
½ tsp Fennel seeds

Method
1. Put the salt, sugar, peppercorns, orange zest, Campari, gin and vermouth in a large bowl and stir to combine.
2. Lay out three pieces of clingfilm overlapping each other, wider and longer than the salmon. Spread half the salt mixture along the middle of the clingfilm. Put the fish on top, skin-side down, and cover with the remaining salt, ensuring no salmon is visible. Wrap with the overhanging clingfilm, transfer to a baking tray and put a heavier tray or board on top. Chill in the fridge for 48 hrs, turning the fish over after 24 hrs so the timing is evenly spaced.
3. Toast the fennel seeds in a small frying pan over a medium heat for 2-3 mins or until fragrant. Finely grind using a pestle and mortar, then combine with the soured cream and chill in a bowl.
4. Remove the salmon from the fridge, unwrap and rinse briefly to completely remove the salt mixture. Pat dry and put on a serving board. Arrange the orange slices down the middle to garnish. When ready to serve, thinly slice the salmon away from the skin and serve with soured cream, parsley and blinis.