Cured Salmon
Delicious and Easy Cured Salmon and Vinaigrette Potato Salad with Olive Oil
During the winter, when the weather is cold and they have only a few hours of sunshine, the Fins turn to cured fish to nourish their bodies and souls. Cured salmon is a big deal in Finland and they take it very seriously, as well they should since they have some of the most highly prized salmon in the world.
My recipe cures the salmon with salt, sugar and spices, and then I pour a very good olive oil over the whole thing, which creates a lovely, richly flavored oil to drizzle onto seed bread or a crunchy baguette. The salmon is rich and subtly salty with a silky and somewhat dense texture on the palette. Pair it with fresh, crunchy French baguettes and fresh butter, and this small plate turns into a meal. Better yet, serve it with boiled potatoes and you've got a feast!
Although this meal is probably best in the spring or summer, especially when you can get fresh salmon, like we can here in Northern California, you can enjoy any time of the year you can get your hands on some good-looking salmon. And given that it has to cure for some time, it can be made ahead of time and pulled out on that night when you get home late or know that you won't have time to cook.
- 1 Medium red onions (Sliced into thin half moons)
- 12-14 Sprigs of fresh dill (Divided)
- 30-40 Seeds Whole Corriander (Divided)
- 30-40 Whole Black Peppercorns (Divided)
- 6-8 Whole Bay Leaves (Broken into pieces, as needed and divided)
- 3-4 Medium Carrots (Cut into 1/4" coins, or thereabout, divided)
- ~2 cups Very Good Quality Olive Oil
- 1 lb Very Fresh Salmon Filet--Center Cut, skin removed (Sliced into 1/3" (or close) slices at thickest part of Filet)
- 4 tbsp Salt
- 2 tbsp Sugar (I use turbinado, but any will do)
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Using a sharp filet knife, remove the skin from the salmon filet.
Using a filet knife, or a very sharp utility knife, cut the filet in half across the natural divide of the filet--where one side is much thicker than the other. Cut the filet into 1/3" (or thereabouts--see picture). Slice the other side of the filet likewise--they will be smaller pieces.
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Next, coat the salmon slices in salt and sugar
Mix the 3 Tbsp salt with the 1.5 Tbsp sugar in a small bowl. Coat the slices of salmon in the salt and sugar mixture and layer them together into a container just big enough to hold them closely. Cover, and place in the refrigerator for 12-14 hours.
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When ready to finish the dish, remove the salmon from the container and rinse under cold water. Pat dry with paper towels. In a large flip top glass jar, or a non-reactive container, add a layer of the fish to the bottom of the container. On top of that, layer on a bay leaf, some of the onions, the carrots, a few coriander seeds, peppercorns, some dill and carrots. Continue to layer the fish, vegetables and spices and herbs until you're out of ingredients. Pour olive oil over top of the whole thing until you have covered all the ingredients--it should be pretty tightly packed. Refrigerate for a few hours until the flavors have had time to meld. Enjoy with a nice sauvignon blanc.
French, cured salmon, potato salad in olive oilThank you for visiting my site! I hope you love the recipe!
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