Smoked Salmon Belly with avocado-yogurt puree and pickled watermelon. (Serves 6).

ingredients

For the pickled watermelon:

2 beets, trimmed and quartered

2 cups rice wine vinegar

3/4 teaspoon granulated sugar

1 1/4 teaspoons Salt

1 tablespoon green cardamom, toasted

2 4x 1/4-inch watermelon rind slices, white part only

For the salmon glaze: Juice of 2 lemons

3 tablespoons white soy sauce

3 tablespoons mirin

Yuzo kosho to taste (**)

For the salmon belly: 1 1/4 pounds wild king salmon belly,
cut into a 2x 1/2-inch strips (***)

Salt and pepper to taste

For the avocado puree: 2 avocados, peeled, pitted, and chopped

Juice of 2 limes

1/3 cup sheeps' milk yogurt"'

Salt and pepper to taste

For the dish: 18 fresh water chestnuts, peeled and trimmed into a
cylindrical shape

For the garnish: Radish sprouts

(*)Available in health food stores.

(**)Yuzu kosho is a spicy, prepared chutney made with the kosho pepper
and yuzu citron fruit. Available in Japanese markets.

(***)Available through Browne Trading at [phone].

(***)Available through Old chatham Sheepherding Company at
[phone].

directions

For the pickled watermelon, in a medium saucepan over medium heat, bring the beets, vinegar, sugar, salt, and toasted cardamom to a simmer. Add the watermelon rinds and return to a simmer. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the watermelon to a cutting board and discard the pickling liquid. Dice the watermelon and reserve keeping chilled

For the salmon glaze, in a small saucepan over medium heat, bring all of the ingredients to a boil. Reduce the heat and maintain at a simmer until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, about five minutes. Remove from the heat, season, and reserve.

For the salmon belly, prepare a hot smoker with applewood chips. Arrange the salmon strips on a large sizzle plate and place in the hot smoker for eight minutes. Remove from the heat and transfer the salmon to a cutting board. Liberally brush with salmon glaze and season. Cut into thin slices and reserve keeping warm.

For the avocado puree, in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade attachment, combine all of the ingredients and pulse until smooth, about one minute. Season, transfer to a pastry bag fitted with a small, round tip, and reserve keeping chilled.

To serve, arrange three water chestnuts in the center of a plate> and pipe some avocado puree on top. Arrange some smoked king salmon belly on top of each chestnut, sprinkle with pickled water melon, and garnish with radish sprouts.

Riesling, Kabinett, Oberhausen leistenberg

Hermann Donnholf

Nahe, Germany 1999