“In this simple dish, the flavours of Middle Europe sparkle with the smoked eel, dill, caraway and Russian salad. The salad, once a mainstay of menus decades past, is something not often seen today but I think it deserves another moment in the sun. I’d serve the dish with some chilled Tasmanian Vodka for a really authentic taste.”

SMOKED EEL + RUSSIAN SALAD

Ingredients:

• 100g peeled, cooked potato
• 100g peeled, cooked carrots
• 80g cooked peas
• 20g chopped gherkins
• ¼ tsp. toasted caraway seeds
• 10g capers
• 1tbs. finely chopped dill
• 3tbs. mayo
• 2tbs. prepared horseradish
• Salt + Black pepper
• 40g smoked eel* per person
• 1 beetroot slice per person
• 1/2 boiled egg per person
• 1tsp. chopped parsley

*Mures sell smoked eel, and you can substitute with hot smoked salmon.

Method

Serves 4

Dice the potato and carrot into 1cm x 1cm cubes. Add the peas, chopped gherkins, caraway, capers and dill. Mix the mayo and horseradish together (saving 4tsp for garnishing later) before binding the mix together and season with salt and pepper. Reserve for later.

Skin the smoked eel and remove the brown meat. Remove the fillets and pick out the remaining bones before cutting into 5cm batons. Reserve 40g of eel per person. To assemble, use a 5cm scone cutter and
spoon the Russian salad into the cutter and compact it before placing a disc of beetroot on top. Now arrange the 40g of smoked eel on the beetroot then spoon the horseradish mayo on the side. Place half a soft-boiled egg on the side, sprinkle with parsley and serve.

Fern Tree Tavern

6239 1171
facebook.com/ferntreetaven
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