How to make potted salmon

 

1. Sterilise the jars

   Start by sterilising 6 x 200ml heatproof jars – Kilner jars or jam jars with a resealable lid work well. Wash them in the sink with hot, soapy water and rinse clean. Dry in the oven for 1 hr at gas 1, 140°C, fan 120°C. Set aside. Once cooled, grease each jar with butter.

   

2. Cook the salmon

   Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large pan over a high heat. Add 600g salmon fillets, skin-side down to start with. Reduce the heat to medium and cook for 2 mins on each side. Cover the pan and cook for a further 1 min. Turn off the heat, but leave the fish in the pan for 5 mins (it will continue cooking in the residual heat).

   

3. Melt the butter

   Melt 150g unsalted butter in a small pan over a low heat. Once melted, continue heating for about 8 mins, until it turns slightly darker in colour and the white milk solids rise to the surface.

   

4. Season the fish

   Meanwhile, peel off and discard the salmon skin. Scatter ½ tsp nutmeg, ¼ tsp cayenne pepper, 5 drops Worcestershire sauce and a little seasoning over the fish, then flake with a fork. Discard any stray bones.

   

5. Clarify the butter

   Pour the butter into a jug through a muslin-lined sieve to catch the milk solids (these can be discarded) – this is called clarifying. Pour half the liquid butter over the flaked salmon and return to a low heat. Warm through for 5 mins, stirring occasionally.

   

6. Jar and seal

   Divide the fish between the jars, then pour over the remaining clarified butter to form a seal. Chill for at least 4 hrs, or for up to 3 days.

   

7. Garnish and serve

   To serve, scatter each pot with a pinch of cayenne pepper and enjoy with sliced lemon and toast, if you like.

   

8. Delicious spins

   Trout and fennel seeds: Use skin-on trout fillets in place of salmon, cooking as instructed in step 2. Omit the nutmeg and cayenne pepper in step 4 and use 1 tsp crushed fennel seeds and 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh dill in their place. Pot up and garnish with a few sprigs of dill. 

   Crab and tarragon: Swap the salmon for 625g cooked crab, skipping step 2 and the first part of step 4. Replace the nutmeg and cayenne pepper in step 4 with 1 tbsp each chopped tarragon and grated lemon zest. 

   Smoked mackerel and horseradish: Replace the salmon with 625g smoked mackerel fillets and miss out step 2. Swap the nutmeg for 2 tsp creamed horseradish.

9. Ingredients

   We've prepared a simple shopping list so you can easily get all you need to make this picnic favourite. Be sure to note down the ingredients or take a screenshot before heading to the shops.

   150g unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing
   1 tbsp olive oil
   600g salmon fillet, skin-on
   ½ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
   ¼ tsp cayenne pepper, plus extra to garnish
   5 drops Worcestershire sauce
   lemon slices, to garnish (optional)
   toasted bread, to serve (optional)
   6 x 200ml heatproof jars

   Each serving contains

   • Energy

     1605kj
     388kcal19%

   • Fat

     34g48%

   • Saturates

     15g73%

   • Sugars

     0g0%

   • Salt

     0.3g5%

   of the reference intake
   Carbohydrate 0.6g Protein 20.5g Fibre 0.1g