WHAT ARE THEY?
Small soft buns made with squid ink, filled with marinated salmon, a mascarpone and wasabi cream and a slice of cucumber, served cold.
TIME TO MAKE
Preparation: 1 hour
Cooking: 15–20 minutes
Resting: 7-8 hours (dough), 1 hour 30 minutes (salmon)
EQUIPMENT
Bread knife
Piping bag
Sharp thin-bladed knife
ADVICE
Ideally, use the centre of the salmon fillet, as it is thicker. Ask your fishmonger to fillet and debone the salmon for you.
TECHNIQUES TO MASTER
ORGANISATION
2 weeks before | Make the buns and freeze uncooked.
1 day before | Thaw the buns in the refrigerator. Make the wasabi cream.
On the day | Rise and bake the buns. Marinate the salmon. Assemble the elements and refrigerate.
30 minutes before | Remove the sliders from the refrigerator.
MAKES 20
1 BUN DOUGH
12 g fresh baker’s yeast, crumbled
50 g milk
40 g unsalted butter, softened
250 g (1⅔ cups) plain flour
20 g sugar
5 g salt
60 g squid ink
40 g egg (about 1 egg), plus 30 g extra for glazing
2 MARINATED SALMON
300 g salmon fillet
100 g coarse salt
100 g sugar
½ bunch dill, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
3 WASABI CREAM
150 g mascarpone
15 g honey
10 g wasabi
10 g lime juice (about ¼ lime)
pinch of salt
2 baby cucumbers or ½ large cucumber
1 Make the buns by following the method on mini buns. Add the squid ink with the wet ingredients.
2 Trim the salmon. Mix the coarse salt and the sugar and spread over the bottom of a high-sided baking dish. Lay the salmon fillet in it, then add the dill and the coriander seeds. Turn the salmon two or three times so that it is covered. Cover in plastic wrap (with the plastic touching the fish), then place a second baking dish on top, and then a weight (such as a carton of milk). Set aside in the refrigerator for 1 hour 30 minutes.
3 Wash the salmon with fresh water, then wipe with paper towel. Using a sharp knife, cut the salmon in slices 5 mm thick and 4 cm on each long side.
4 To make the wasabi cream, mix the mascarpone, honey, wasabi, lime juice and salt in a bowl. Adjust the seasoning, then transfer the mixture into a piping bag.
5 Wash the cucumbers and cut in 3 mm slices. Using a bread knife, cut the buns in half crossways.
6 Pipe a dollop of wasabi cream on the bottom half of each bun. Add a slice of cucumber, a slice of salmon, another dollop of cream, then the top half of each bun. Set aside in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
