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 course 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 bunch 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 vegetables into medium sized chunks and then rough chop them semi-fine in a food processor or through a meat grinder. Next, combine chopped vegetables with remaining ingredients.
Put about 1/2 of 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 with remaining salt cure generously. Top with plastic or baking paper and weight evenly on top.
Refrigerate overnight.
Remove salmon fillet from cure and rinse well with cold water. Pat dry. Air dry 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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