Tina Pemberton, chef-proprietor of the Café at Brovey Lair in Ovington, prepares a seasonal Swedish salmon mousse. Photograph: Denise Bradley.

One of my restaurant guests on a visit from Australia said to me the other day, “Christmas at home just isn’t the same as over here. While you guys are plodding to church though glorious new-fallen snow and opening presents around a roaring log fire, we are barbecuing and soaking up the sunshine on Bondi Beach.”

I pretended to sympathise with her thinking to myself – ‘I know where I would rather be in deepest December’. And anyway, when did East Anglia have its last white Christmas? Dream on, Bing Crosby.

Twenty years ago I lived in Sweden. My birthday is at the beginning of November and I remember traipsing through the snow with my mad Romanian boyfriend to one of the best restaurants in Stockholm called Opera Kalleren.

It was there that, for the first time, I experienced their legendary salmon mousse with its festive skirt of rosé wine jelly. As a real treat this makes an ideal prelude to a traditional Christmas lunch or dinner.

It was during the two years I lived in that beautiful country that I learned nearly all of my skills with fish and seafood.

The quality and freshness of their fish is second to none. You are unlikely to have been to any of the Scandinavian countries without encountering the wonderful smorgasbords. These are usually long buffet tables set out with many varieties of fresh and marinated fish, superb cheeses, cold cuts of meat and characteristic sausages; eaten in Sweden with knackerbröd and the best butter.

Of the many different fresh and cured salmon preparations only gravadlax has made it big time in the UK.

To make the Opera Kalleren mousse you will need some bushy dill which you should find in the larger supermarkets.

In Sweden, every fishmonger’s shop has an overwhelming perfume of fresh dill and they always throw in a bunch with your order. Here it is curly whirly parsley which, uncooked, has no smell and is hardly ever thrown in!

My local fish supplier is Bunnings in Cranworth near Hingham. The owner, George, is as fussy as I am about fish and will only buy the quality his customers have come to expect. So please insist on the freshest of salmon – from Scotland if possible.

You will need both fresh and smoked for this recipe.
The wine jelly should look like a necklace of pale pink jewels around the turned out mousse. Serve with thin toast or sliced pumpernickel.

SWEDISH SALMON MOUSSE
Serves four

For the mousse
175gms fresh salmon poached with
celery leaf
cay leaf
spring onion
quarter of a lemon
and dill stalks
250gms smoked salmon
200mls double cream
½ teaspoon of salt
15gms of dry pink peppercorns.
Teaspoon of fresh lemon juice
2 leaves of gelatine

For the wine jelly
400mls dry rosé wine
½ teaspoon of salt
4 gelatine leaves

Prepare the mousse mix
Poach lightly in stock made with the ingredients shown.
Allow to cool.

Prepare the smoked salmon
Finely chop or shred 100gms of the smoked salmon.
Using a hand blender grind the two salmons together then stir in the cream adding a little salt, pepper and lemon juice to taste.

Gell the mousse
Soak gelatine leaves in a little cold water for a few minutes.
Then drain off the water and loosen over a hot water bath.
When just runny stir into the salmon mixture.

Mould and set the mousse
Take four small coffee cups or pudding moulds – nothing too deep
(Chinese tea cups are ideal) – and line them with a thin slice of the
remaining smoked salmon. Pour in salmon mixture, cover each one with cling film and leave in refrigerator for five to six hours or overnight.

Prepare wine jelly
Soak gelatine leaves in a little cold water. Then bring the wine almost to the boil together with salt and stir in the gelatine until it melts completely.
Allow to cool then place in refrigerator to set alongside the mousses.

Assemble the dish
Marry together mousse and jelly.
When ready to serve, loosen the mousses with a knife tip and turn out on to a tea plate (preferably white).
Finely chop the jelly and place around the base of each mousse like ring of jewels.
Garnish with some dill leaves.

and for the wine...
Pink champagne or a sparkling brut from France or California is perfect.
In all likelihood, you will want a red wine with the main course so if the champagne runs out before you sit down, open some well-chilled Sauvignon from New Zealand.
They produce the most fragrant and fruitiest of all the world’s Sauvignons.

As it is a festive season, splash out, pay a little more (£7 or £8)
and you will enjoy a wonderful wine.
If you like a more serious wine go for a Pouilly Fumé (£10)
or Chablis (£8).

• For more information on Norfolk’s newest fish and seafood restaurant visit the website at www.broveylair.co.uk
  Or to experience the real thing call 01953 882706 at least three days in advance for a reservation.