Pickle & Preserve
Pickled Salmon
- Serves about 4
Author Notes
I am a lover of most all things pickled. From the a la minute ceviches to the home canned "bread and butter style" cucumbers, they are easy to prepare and make fine low fat snacks. The other day I bought a side of fresh, wild caught Norwegian salmon from my fishmonger to serve to some dinner guests. Wanting to make perfect looking, equal sized slices for my meal, I cut the meatiest part of the fillet away from the sides and tail. After that I had a mess of scraps that I really did not want to waste, so I decided to pickle them. What resulted was a wonderful treat that I have been snacking from all week. Next time, I will make it purposefully as an appetizer. Please, only use the freshest and finest salmon because even though you are pickling it, it really does matter. —Fabulous Food Fanatic
Ingredients
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Fine white wine vinegar (enough to completely cover your fish)
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1
yellow or white onion cut in thin julienne
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Fine sea salt to taste (not too much, though)
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1
bay leaf
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1/2 teaspoon
black peppercorns or small juniper berries
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2-3
whole cloves
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1 teaspoon
superfine sugar (just to take the edge off the acid)
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about a a third to a half pound
Extra fresh, wild cut Norwegian salmon (or other light fleshed, relatively fatty variety)
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Sour cream (could be low fat)
Directions
- Trim the skin and any outer fat away from the raw salmon. Cut what is left into large bite sized pieces or 2 inch by one half inch or so slices. Very lightly season the salmon with the sea salt - not too much - and put them in a non-reactive (glass or plastic) container. You can use a good strong zip lock bag for this, too.
- Add the peppercorns or juniper berries, bay leaf, sugar and enough white wine vinegar to completely cover the other ingredients. Shake it up to make certain the salt and sugar dissolves and gets mixed in to the vinegar.
- Toss in as much julienned onions as you wish. I like a fair bit though don't forget that the salmon is the main attraction. These will get pickled just like the fish and they will add a nice crunch to the dish.
- Put in the refrigerator, covered, for at least 24 hours. Whenever you think of it, but at least once or twice, gently toss the mixture to ensure everything is getting spiced.
- To serve, drain the liquid and, if you wish, pick off the spices (leave them in the unused part). Put a dollup of sour cream on top and serve with some crusty fresh dark rye bread. The salmon will keep in the fridge for at least a week.
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