Whiskey- and sorghum-cured salmon on rye toast
Waylon Rivers
Black Sheep Restaurant
Jacksonville, Florida
Waylon Rivers, the executive chef at Black Sheep Restaurant in Jacksonville, Florida, has put together a casual, elegant menu where Southern influence meets local Florida food purveyors. Rivers’ famous crudo dish, however, relies on New Zealand- sourced sustainable – and exquisite – Ora King Salmon.
Rivers uses a shot of Bulleit whiskey to marinate, which matches the dish perfectly with one of Black Sheep’s signature cocktails – the St. Andrew’s Summer. Made with is Eden Mill Hop Gin, Chareau aloe, strawberry lemon shrub, lemon juice, and hopped grapefruit bitters, the drink’s high alcohol content cuts the richness of the salmon and its clean lemon notes pairs wonderfully with the beets, pollen, and caviar.
Rye whiskey and sorghum-cured salmon with fresh cow’s milk cheese, shaved beets, hackleback caviar, and dill pollen served on rye toast
Ingredients:
- 2-3 pounds king salmon, skin on and pin bones removed
- 300 g kosher salt
- 150 g white sugar
- 20 g fresh thyme
- 25 g orange zest
- 20 g ground yellow mustard
- 10 g ground black pepper
- 75 g rye whiskey (preferably Bulleit)
- 150 g sorghum
In a food processor, blend all the ingredients, except for the salmon until the mixture is homogenized. Place the salmon in a glass container and pour the cure over top the fish and cure for 2-3 days in the refrigerator. Flip the salmon over every day until the fish is cured. When done curing, rinse off the cure and slice very thin.
Citrus-herb fresh cow’s milk cheese:
- 1 pound Sweetgrass Dairy Lil Moo cheese (or another spreadable fresh cheese)
- Zest from 1 whole orange
- 2 tablespoon fines herbs
- ½ cup crème fraiche
- Kosher salt
- Fresh cracked black pepper
In a mixing bowl with a paddle attachment, blend until the cheese is smooth and spreadable.
To serve:
- Hackleback caviar
- Red Beet, peeled and shaved thin
- Rye toast
- Fresh picked dill
- Dill pollen
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Fleur de sel
To assemble: Spread the cow’s milk cheese on the toast. Place a few ounces of thinly sliced salmon on top of the cheese. Place the rest of the ingredients around on top of the salmon. Finish with Extra virgin olive oil and a sprinkling of sea salt.
