Such an incredible Summer has brought with it an abundance of produce. We here at Mt Difficulty love to gorge ourselves on Central Otago fruit, but what to do with the excess? Get creative and try our recipe below – Blackberry cured Salmon, from Werner our chef at the Mt Difficulty Winery Restaurant. He thinks it matches beautifully with our Bannockburn Pinot Noir Rosé.

Ingredients:
600 gram piece of centre-cut salmon, skin on

Cure:
2 Cups fresh or frozen blackberries, thawed with their juice
1 tsp ground fennel
3 Tbs gin
Finely grated zest of 1 large lemon and 1 orange
2 Tbs flaky sea salt
3 Tbs brown sugar

Method
Making the cure: Put blackberries in a bowl and crush with a fork to break them up into a pulpy mass. Stir in all the remaining ingredients.

Spoon the cure over the salmon, ensuring the blackberry pulp is completely covering the flesh. Cover tightly with plastic wrap then place a small board on top and weigh it down with jars or tins. Refrigerate for 24 hours.

Serve with green salad, new potatoes and a glass of Mt Difficulty Pinot Noir Rosé