Pancetta wrapped salmon with Herby Sauce

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Pancetta-wrapped salmon with saffron and herb rice

Serves 6

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Ingredients

350ml / 12fl oz fresh chicken stock

½ tsp saffron

25g / 1oz butter

50g / 2oz shallots, finely chopped

175g / 6oz long grain rice

¼ tsp salt

3 tbsp chopped fresh herbs, such as parsley, tarragon and chives

Finely grated zest of ½ lemon and

2 tsp lemon juice

2 x 550g / 1lb 4oz thick pieces of skinned salmon fillet, taken from a large fish

16 slices thin smoked pancetta

4 fresh bay leaves

2 tbsp olive oil

Herby cream sauce

4 tbsp chopped dill

4 tbsp chopped parsley

150ml / ¼ pint crème fraiche

300ml / ½ pint mayonnaise

1 tbsp lemon juice

Salt & pepper

To make the herby cream sauce simply mix all the ingredients together and set aside until needed

Put the stock and saffron into a pan, bring to the boil and keep hot over a low heat. Melt the butter in a small pan, add the shallots and fry gently until soft. Stir in the rice, stock and salt and bring to the boil. Stir, cover, then reduce the heat to low and cook for 15 minutes. Remove and set aside for 5 minutes.  Uncover and fork through the chopped herbs, lemon zest, lemon juice and salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Preheat the oven to 200°C/fan180°C/gas 6 and put a large non-stick baking sheet into the oven to heat up. Trim the salmon fillets to the same size, then season on both sides with salt and freshly ground pepper. Spoon the rice mixture in an even layer over 1 salmon fillet and press down well. Cover with the other salmon fillet.  Place 2 pancetta slices on a board with the ends slightly overlapping to make 1 long strip. Arrange next to this, another 2 slices, slightly overlapping as before. Repeat with the remaining pancetta. Lay the salmon down the centre of the pancetta sheet and bring up the slices to enclose the salmon, pressing down gently.  Arrange the bay leaves on top. Tie at intervals with 6-7 lengths of kitchen string to secure.

Carefully slide the salmon parcel onto the hot baking sheet. Drizzle with the olive oil and bake in the oven for 35-40 minutes for just cooked salmon, or a little longer if you prefer.  Remove the salmon from the oven, cover and set aside to rest for 5-10 minutes. Slice thickly and serve with herby cream sauce.

To get ahead: The prepared uncooked salmon can be made up to a day ahead and stored in the fridge.

To freeze:Not suitable

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