Looking for a delicious appetizer for a weekend dinner party? Jay Swift, chef and owner of Noble Fin restaurant, shares his take on cured salmon.
Ingredients
- 1 medium salmon fillet (about 3 lbs)
- 1 cup coarse Kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 carrot peeled
- 1 fennel bulb
- 1 small onion peeled
- 1 small leek white and light green part only
- 1/2 tablespoon fresh dill or tarragon
- 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 juniper berries, smashed
- 1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds
- 1/2 small piece star anise
First, cut the vegetables into medium-sized chunks and then roughly chop them semi-fine in a food processor or meat grinder. Next, combine the chopped vegetables with the remaining ingredients.
Put about half of the salt cure mixture in the bottom of a pan just big enough for your salmon. Place the salmon skin side down in the cure, then cover generously with the remaining salt cure. Top with plastic or baking paper and weigh evenly on top.
Refrigerate overnight.
Remove the salmon fillet from the cure and rinse well with cold water. Pat dry. Air dry the salmon fillet uncovered for two hours. Slice paper thin and serve.
Options:
Cold Smoke (no heat, just smoke) re-chill and then slice thin
or
Hot Smoke (Low heat smoke, cook lightly, medium rare to medium and serve warm)
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