serves
8-10
prep
35 minutes
difficulty
Ace
serves
8-10
people
preparation
35
minutes
difficulty
Ace
level
Ingredients
Cured salmon
- 1 x 1.5 kg salmon side, skin on
- 3 cups flossy salt (see note)
- 3 ½ cups caster sugar
- ½ bunch flat leaf parsley
Marinade
- extra virgin olive oil
- zest of 1 lemon, dried and ground
- zest of 1 orange, dried and ground
- 10 dill sprigs, roughly chopped
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp 4 pepper mix (2 parts white peppercorns, 1 part pink peppercorns, 1 part Szechuan pepper, 1 part black peppercorns, blended in a pepper grinder)
- lemon juice
To serve
- extra virgin olive oil
- lemon juice
- various condiments, to serve such as salmon roe, capers, white marinated anchovies, baby mushrooms in olive oil, sour cream, and picked vegetables
Curing time: 12 hours
Marinating time: 2 hours
You will need to begin this recipe 1 day ahead.
Instructions
To sure the salmon, remove all bones from the salmon, pin boning with tweezers if necessary but leaving the skin on. Combine salt and sugar and mix well. Place salmon on a non-reactive tray, sprinkle the cure mix onto the salmon flesh a little at a time and, using the parsley as a brush, brush off the excess salt. This creates a skin between the salt layer and the delicate flesh of the salmon. Repeat this until the skin feels firm. Pour the remaining salt over the salmon and rub it evenly over the length of the fish so it is the same depth all over. Cover and leave to cure in the fridge for 12 hours or overnight. The next day rinse off the cure mix and pat dry.
To marinade, smear the salmon with a light layer of olive oil. Mix all the dry marinade ingredients together in a small bowl. Sprinkle the marinade over fish and grind on the fresh pepper mix. Wrap the salmon in cling film, making sure there is no air between the film and the fish, and rest in the fridge for a couple of hours.
To serve, unwrap and place the salmon on a large serving plate. Slice finely, sprinkle with extra virgin olive oil and lemon juice. Serve with condiments of your choosing, such as salmon roe, capers, white marinated anchovies, baby mushrooms in olive oil, sour cream, and picked vegetables.
Note
A refined grade of salt used for cooking and curing
Recipe provided by
Cook's Notes
Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.
