Author Notes
I love raw, fresh wild salmon. I love good gin. What follows is a happy, happy marriage. This is lightly cured by most gravlax standards, as it takes a day rather than three, but it preserves the wonderful texture of outstanding fish. As an appetizer for a dinner party, or a smart meal in itself with people you like (a lot!), this is something worth splurging on, just once in a while. I think it is best served with brown bread and butter, and nips of viscously cold gin on the side. —Marie Viljoen
Ingredients
-
1
side of wild salmon
-
1 bunch
dill, washed and dried
-
1/2
lemon's zest
-
1
lemon's juice
-
1/4 cup
Bombay sapphire gin
-
2 tablespoons
black peppercorns, roughly crushed
-
1 tablespoon
excellent salt
-
1 tablespoon
sugar
Directions
-
You need a dish wide enough to hold your salmon side comfortably, as well as a smaller dish to weigh it down, with a brick, or cans, anything heavy, on top of that.
-
Rinse and pat dry your salmon. Remove pin bones if there are any.
-
Combine the dill, lemon zest, lemon juice and gin.
-
Pour half this mixture into the dish that will hold the fish.
-
Sprinkle half the peppercorns, salt and sugar over the base of the dish.
-
Lay your salmon, skin side down, in the dish.
-
Add the remaining ingredients over the side facing up.
-
Lay a sheet of clingfilm (or greaseproof paper if you are worried about what's in the plastic) over the salmon.
-
Place a nesting dish or any dish that can cover the length of the salmon, on top. Weigh this down with cans, side by side, or a brick, or baking beans. You get the idea.
-
Place this in the fridge for 6 hours minimum, 12 hours maximum.
-
Flip the fish, so that the orange side is facing down. Sometimes I taste the juice at this point and and a little more seasoning.
-
Put it back in the fridge for another 6-12 hours.
-
Remove from fridge and pat dry.
-
With a very sharp knife, with fish placed skin side down, separate skin from meat by sliding the blade between the two.
-
Carve into medium-thin slices.
-
Serve with good seven grain style bread and excellent butter. Lemon wedges and more black pepper on the side don't hurt.
See what other Food52ers are saying.