This is best made three days in advance – an advantage to the busy cook! Its easy to prepare and the flesh is succulent.

Ingredients:

• 1.4kg fresh salmon fillet, centre cut – the thickest part of the fish
• 2 large bunches of dill (1 chopped and 1 for serving)
• 115g salt
• 115g sugar
• 2 tbsp white peppercorns, crushed
• 30g mustard
• 1 tsp ground dry mustard
• 3 tbsp sugar
• 2tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 80ml olive oil
• 3 tbsp chopped fresh dill
• 1 large cucumber

Method:

• Cut the salmon in half lengthways and place half the fish skin-down in a deep dish. Wash and shake dry the dill and place it on the fish. Combine the salt, sugar and crushed peppercorns in a small bowl and sprinkle evenly over the piece of fish. Place the other half of salmon over the dill, skin-side up. Cover the dish with foil. Refrigerate the salmon for 3 days, turning it every 24 hours and basting it with the liquid it collects.
• Lay each piece of salmon flat on a cutting board, remove the bunch of dill, and sprinkle the top with fresh chopped dill. With a long thin sharp knife, slice the salmon thinly and away from the skin.
• Combine the mustards, sugar and vinegar in a small bowl. Slowly whisk in the oil and stir in the chopped dill. Peel the cucumber, cut it in half lengthways and remove the seeds, then slice it. Mix the cucumber in the mustard sauce and serve with the cured salmon.

The health benefits of salmon being rich in Omega 3 fatty acids are well known but perhaps less so are the benefits of dill and apple cider vinegar.

Dill is mainly associated with use in pickles, but it also happens to be an antioxidant food with anti-inflammatory properties and antiviral properties, and as an aid to digestion amongst other benefits.

Apple cider vinegar which contains the ‘Mother’ is claimed to have all sorts of benefits both internally and topically. Choose the one that is cloudy and unfiltered. This shows that there are living enzymes and gut friendly bacteria present.