RECIPE / RALPH SCHELLING

Salmon with a lemon-pepper crust

This simple salmon dish reminds our Swiss chef of his time in the kitchen at Kunststuben in Küssnacht. There he served it with a crème badiane (cream with star anise). You can try it with green vegetables of your choosing and perhaps a light potato mash. Serves 4 as a main

• Ingredients:
• 800g fresh salmon fillet
• 2 tbsps black peppercorns
• 2 tbsps pink peppercorns
• 2 tbsps mustard seeds
• 1 lemon (juice and zest)
• 100ml olive oil
• Sea salt, pinch

• Method:
• 1. Clean and, if necessary, bone the salmon fillet.
• 2. Coarsely crush the pepper and mustard seeds in a mortar. Mix in the lemon zest, and add two thirds of the olive oil to the marinade. Spread it over the top of the fillet and press the fillet down firmly.
• 3. Fry the fillet pepper-side down in the remaining oil over a medium heat. Turn after about 2 minutes and leave to stand in the pan for 2 to 3 minutes, away from the heat so that the fish is still slightly glassy.
• 4. Carefully cut into four pieces and arrange each on top of green vegetables or mash, adding a squeeze of lemon juice.