Milla in the kitchen
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The Cellar Door Restaurant of Toronto uses our chamomile liquor in a special recipe that combines the flavors of North America with the warm notes of Nebbiolo grappa infused with chamomile
#1: SMOKED SALMON WITH CHAMOMILE
The world of grappa and liquors is as varied as are the ways in which those liquors can be used. Not only are these spirits appreciated in the glass, but if you enjoy a different and delicious kind of meal, they can be used in many different ways in the kitchen.
In the past, household remedies and dishes that used dashes of liquor or distillates were not rare at all, and especially helped to enrich the aromatic components of the meal.
And we haven’t forgotten these recipes today. It just so happens, for example, that our Milla—chamomile liquor infused in Nebbiolo grappa—is an excellent ingredient in a second course fish dish from traditional Canadian cuisine: salmon. The Cellar Door Restaurant of Toronto has decided to include a recipe on their menu that’s an interesting version of the classic Canadian dish of smoked salmon, pairing it with the sweet, floral notes of Milla liquor.
It’s a recipe that, today, Cellar Door is sharing via our blog—a rich, delicious dish that will leave your guests asking for more!
Ingredients:
- one whole filet Canadian salmon, bones removed
- 300 g of salt
- 100 g of sugar
- zest of 1 lime
- zest of 1 lemon
- fennel seed
- coriander seed
- juniper berries
- five cloves
- half a bunch of dill
- wood or wood chips for smoking
Directions:
1) Score the back side of the salmon, though the skin, in 4 places.
2) Mix spices, zest, salt and sugar together
3) Cover the bottom of the pan large enough to hold the salmon with one third of the sugar and salt mixture.
4) Place the salmon skin side down on top of the salt-sugar mixture and cover the flesh with the rest of the mixture and the dill. Be sure to season the thicker parts more liberally and the thinner parts of the salmon with less of the salt mixture or it will be too salty.
5) Allow the salmon to rest in the fridge for 24 hours. (OR you can leave it curing for up to 3 days, turning the salmon daily. At this point it can be rinsed, sliced very thinly and eaten “raw”)
6) After 24 hrs, rinse the salt-sugar mixture off the salmon with cold water. Dry well with a paper towel or dry cloth.
7) At this point brush liberally with Morolo chamomilla grappa. Brushing the salmon with grappa before smoking will allow the smoke to adhere better to the flesh. And in this case, by using the Camomilla Grappa you are taking the opportunity to add another layer of flavour to the salmon. The sweet, subtle and floral aromatics of the camomilla grappa compliment the salmon superbly.
Now you’re ready for the smoker. Smoke on your wood or charcoal bbq. At the restaurant we smoke the salmon in the early morning in our wood burning oven using the embers from the night before. The salmon is hot smoked at 200 degees celcius for 10 minutes. You can also bake the salmon if you like.
It’s now ready to slice thinly and with your favorite accompaniments.
Here at the restaurant we serve it with radish, whipped sheep yogurt, avocado, beets, crispy fried quinoa and lots of fresh herbs from the garden.
N.B. For a smaller portion, you can also cure a trout in a similar way for about 3 to 6 hours. Use less of the salt mixture, just enough to cover the trout. Good for 1-2 people.
