Aussie Solomon Gundy

Solomon Gundy is a classic Jamaican spread (also called solomon-a-gundy) made from heavily salted herring so strongly smoked that the flesh turns a reddish brown (thus ‘red herrings’). The rather odd sounding name comes from the old-fashioned English term salmagundi, referring to a highly-seasoned dish made from a mixture of meat and vegetables, and allegedly popular with buccaneers in the West Indies. I’ve opted for locally smoked salmon to create this Aussie version served with raw vegetables for dipping. Keep any leftovers in the fridge for up to 4 days and serve on crackers. Enjoy it with a glass of Brash Higgins Crystal pet-nat to get any meal off to a delicious start. Thanks to chef Paul Carmichael for the inspiration!

Serves 4 as a starter

Ingredients

150g (5⅓oz) hot-smoked salmon or ocean trout fillet, skin and bones discarded
3 green onions, finely sliced
½ small habanero chilli, very finely diced
½ teaspoon thyme leaves
½ teaspoon ground allspice
1½ tablespoons (30ml) lime juice
1½ tablespoons (30ml) extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
Salt flakes, to taste
Raw vegetables and/or croutons, for serving

Method

Flake the fish into a mixing bowl.
Add green onion, habanero, thyme, allspice, lime juice and oil and mash together to form a coarse paste.
Taste and add salt.
Cover and refrigerate until 30 minutes before serving, then remove from fridge and set aside to warm up a little.
Arrange vegetables on a platter.
Drizzle fish mixture with oil and serve with the vegetables and/or croutons.