The salmon braid! Delightfully delicious!

Preparations:

For a salmon braid, you need a "base." Of course, you can make it yourself, but for convenience, we use a fresh pizza base from Albert Heijn. We use the Crosta Croccante pizza base with tomato sauce, but we won't use the tomato sauce.

The pizza base as it comes out of the package is a bit thick, so we’ll roll it out well. (Thinner dough cooks more evenly.) Before rolling out the base, place a piece of baking paper or cling film on your countertop. Sprinkle some flour on this paper or film, then place the pizza base on it. Use a rolling pin to make the pizza base larger and thinner.

Serving tip: Instead of a pizza base, you can use a ready-made roll of puff pastry. These are also available at the supermarket. Puff pastry is already a bit thinner, and you can roll it out further with the rolling pin if desired.

What to do with your KLAUWE:

Fire up your KLAUWE (fire basket at level 3 from the top) and aim for a temperature of around 200 degrees Celsius.

When lighting your KLAUWE, you need a lot of oxygen, so open the air vents at the front and back fully. Leave the lid off your KLAUWE. After lighting the fire, the rear air vent normally closes completely, but since we want a temperature of 200 degrees, leave the rear air vent open. The front air vent also remains open.

Preparing your base:

While the fire on your KLAUWE is getting ready, continue with your salmon braid in the kitchen. By now, you should have a rolled-out pizza base.

Take the cup (200 grams) of crème fraîche and put it in a bowl. Add 100 grams (a splash) of full-fat yogurt or ricotta. Stir well with a spoon. Then add 2 tablespoons of dill.

Spread this mixture evenly over the pizza base with a spoon. Don’t spread it too thickly (you’ll probably have some left over). Leave about 2 centimeters of one edge free of this mixture; this will be the "sealing edge" of the roll.

Once the pizza base is covered with the yogurt/crème fraîche/dill mixture, it’s time to add the slices of salmon. Finally, sprinkle a bit of salt and pepper over your creation.

Rolling your base:

After preparing the base, roll it up towards the sealing edge. Roll tightly until you have a compact roll.

Cutting your salmon roll:

If you’ve made a nice tight roll, take a sharp knife and cut the roll lengthwise down the middle. You now have two long strips of "filled pizza dough." Carefully braid these two strips together. If done carefully, you should have a raw salmon braid.

Back to your KLAUWE:

Option 1:

When the coals are glowing well and the tallest flames have subsided, move the fire basket with the lifting hook (and barbecue gloves) to level 4 (from the top). Place the grill rack on level 2 (from the top). Put the pizza stone on the rack to heat up. Then, put the lid on your KLAUWE. (We’re grilling without a water ring and water pan.)

The air vents at the front and back should remain open. Aim for a temperature of around 200 degrees Celsius. If the temperature exceeds 200 degrees Celsius, partially close the rear air vent. Both air vents can likely remain open.

Take your time to let the temperature stabilize around 200 degrees Celsius. (If the temperature is slightly lower, it’s not a big deal, but the dish will take longer on your KLAUWE.)

Option 2:

This variant is a bit trickier but worth mentioning. You can also choose to push the coals to one side of the fire basket (using a fireproof poker). Then, move the fire basket to the lowest level (level 5 from the top). Place the grill rack on level 2, just like in option 1. With this option, we place the salmon braid directly on the grill rack, not on a pizza stone. Ensure the salmon braid is not directly over the coals; it should be grilled indirectly. With this option, the bottom of your dough might become too dark/hard, but if you don’t have a pizza stone, it’s a solution. The advantage is that the dish cooks faster.

Your salmon braid can go on the grill:

Once the temperature is stable and the salmon braid is ready, you can, according to option 1, place the salmon braid on the pizza stone. Close the lid and wait. The goal is for the salmon braid to develop a nice crust. Take your time; undercooked dough is not tasty.

Serving your salmon braid:

When you see a nice crust, it’s time to remove the salmon braid from your KLAUWE. Cut the salmon braid into slices (or larger pieces if you’re really hungry).

Congratulations! You’ve made a salmon braid!

Bon appétit and don’t forget: Eat with your KLAUWE and Impress Your Friends!