Ikura Caviar, Marinated Salmon & Pressed Cucumber

Mt Cook Salmon Ikura Caviar is an authentic expression of a traditional food, using premium New Zealand salmon roe. In a perfect local collab the company partnered with Queenstown sake producer Zenkuro to add that extra local flavour. The result is a delicate little pearl of umami flavour that bursts in your mouth and really adds wow factor to dishes. You could play on the traditional way serving of caviar, with accompaniments such as soy-cured chopped egg, furikake crème fraîche, seaweed chips, chopped shallot and chives, as we have photographed on page 80.

Pure Juice’s cold-pressed Vitamin C Recharge is a vibrant blend of apple, orange, lemon, carrot, turmeric and ginger. The flavour is well balanced and punchy, without the turmeric and ginger overwhelming the freshness of the other ingredients. Great for an easy, nutrient packed pick-me-up, its citrus-and-spice flavour profile works really well as a marinade, particularly for raw fish, as I have done here. Topped with stunning Ikura caviar, this is a wonderful nibble or entrée.

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Instructions

1.	Put the salmon in the freezer for 1 hour to get it nice and firm, and so easier to slice.
2.	Remove from the freezer and slice thinly.
3.	Put the slices in a dish and pour over the juice, then cover and refrigerate for 1-4 hours.
4.	Slice the cucumber thinly, using a mandolin if you have one.
5.	To press the cucumber evenly you will need two smooth- bottomed plates or wide bowls, one of which fits snugly inside the other.
6.	Spread a layer of cucumber on the larger plate or bowl.
7.	Sprinkle evenly with the salt then repeat the layers.
8.	Put the smaller plate or bowl on top and weigh down with something heavy (such as a couple of cans of beans) and leave for 15 minutes.
9.	Drain off the liquid and squeeze the cucumber gently in your hands.
10.	Drizzle the cucumber with the vinegar.
11.	Cover and refrigerate for up to a day.
12.	Arrange the cucumber slices on a serving plate with the salmon slices and season with a little salt then drizzle with the sesame oil and some of the juice.
13.	Scatter with Ikura caviar and herbs.
14.	For an elegant option provide plates with a little fork, or for a more casual style, use blinis or rice crackers to scoop up a portion.