Cured salmon

More festive food I'm afraid. This is cured salmon; I used a marinade made from grated raw beetroot, dill, salt, sugar, black peppercorns and aquavit. Six days in the fridge under a heavy weight (a brick wrapped in clingfilm!) turns it into this; the beetroot gives it an earthy flavour and the graduated reds and pinks. Delicious with horseradish, capers, sour cream and Irish soda bread. Wash down with cold crisp Chardonnay - it's a great antidote to a heavy Christmas lunch.

Don't worry, this is not turning into a cookery column - I'll be back to landscape photos in no time...