Tuesday, February 18, 2014

Cured Salmon, easier than you think!

Curing your own salmon is EASY!  Here is how I did it...

What you will need: 

2 lbs salmon (get the good stuff) 
1 lemon
1 orange
1 small beet
1 lb sea salt
1 tsp dried dill
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp fennel seed
1 tsp black pepper
1 oz vodka
Deep dish (I used glass)

First, check your fish for bones and scales, you don't want these in your finished product.  Rinse off your fish and dry with a paper towel, set aside.  Using a grater, grate the beet into a bowl.  Zest the orange and lemon and add to the bowl.  Now juice the orange and lemon into the bowl.  Add the rest of the ingredients (except the fish) to the bowl and stir well.  You should have a "slush-like" consistency.  Into you deep dish, spoon approx 1/4 cup of your salt slush into the bottom of the dish to make a base for your fish.  Add the fish, skin side down.  Pour the rest of the slush atop the fish, making sure every part of your fish is covered.  Cover with plastic wrap and place into your fridge for 48 hours.  After 48 hours take the fish out of the bowl and rinse well under cold running water.  Slice thinly and enjoy!  Change the seasoning to get a completely different flavor, I like the citrus with the fish.