I started curing salmon at home after seeing it done at a friend’s dinner party. Jaime Oliver posted a handy how-to video that was my starting place. This recipe is one of my family’s most requested and enjoyed meals – both breakfast and dinner. One early lesson that I learned is the importance of using only a fatty salmon fillet – like Atlantic – instead of a lean type like sockeye or king. If the fish does not have enough fatty marbling, the salting process can ruin the texture. I like Whole Foods Atlantic Salmon fillets the best and always ask the fishmonger for the fattiest cut. Note: The amounts of the below ingredients vary with preference. Use your instincts, it’s a heuristic process. A 2:1 ratio for salt to sugar is a good estimate.
Ingredients:
- 1 – 2 lbs Atlantic salmon fillet, skin on
- Himalayan pink salt (from bulk) or Morton’s Kosher salt
- Brown sugar
- Fresh dill, stems removed and chopped
- Lemon zest
- Fresh horseradish root, grated
- Red or golden beet, grated
Take a glass baking pan and line the bottom with plastic wrap. Spread some salt and sugar on the bottom using a 2:1 ratio of salt over sugar. Place the salmon fillet skin down in the pan and atop the salt/sugar mixture. Then, coat the top of the salmon with another layer of salt and sugar (2:1) spreading evenly. Layer the fillet with the remaining ingredients. Fully encase the salmon in the plastic wrap using a second sheet if needed so that it is tightly sealed. While still in the glass baking pan, and now wrapped tight, set some weight on the top of the salmon such as a foil-wrapped brick or six-pack of soda cans. Place the entire thing into the fridge. Liquid will begin to collect in the bottom of the pan after a few hours. After two days, remove the salmon from plastic wrap and rinse off the curing mixture with cold water in the sink. Pat dry the cleaned fillet with paper towels. When you’re ready to serve it, remove the skin with a sharp chef’s or sashimi knife. Then, slice the salmon against the grain to your preferred thickness. The cured salmon should keep in your fridge for up to one week. Suggested servings can include traditional bagels with cream cheese, fresh chopped dill, sliced red onion or scallions, and capers. Our family especially enjoys cured salmon as the centerpiece of a cheese board appetizer or dinner. It’s also insanely good with eggs.
Alex Taghavian 