AKA Marinated Salmon
In my house we have always loved smoked salmon. We add it to
salads, prepare it as an appetizer or just eat it as is. However, when I first moved to Ohio and went
to get some salmon the price tag almost hit me right in my face. It is so
expensive! I don´t know if we get better deals in Europe cause we get the
salmon from Norway or what the reason is, but in Spain you can find smoked
salmon for about the third of the price.
Anyhow, I was not willing to accept the idea of not eating
cured salmon so I decided to make my own marinated salmon. For those of you who
have not tried marinated salmon before, I have to say that it has the same
texture and appearance than the smoked one and a very similar but milder
flavor.
I got this recipe from my mom, who got it from my aunt
Carola about 20 years ago, and I´ve been preparing it for years. Every time I
make it for other people I get compliments about how good it is and there are
never leftovers. It doesn´t have that
strong smoked flavor that the store bought has, but you´ll be surprised to find
out how similar and delicious it is.
Here is what you will need.
MATERIALS:
-
Big bowl to mix ingredients
-
Big and flat Tupperware to lay the salmon
-
Plastic wrap
-
A heavy weight (I usually use a half a gallon of
milk or any big bottle I have in my fridge)
INGREDIENTS:
- Fresh salmon filet (about ¾ of a pound or 1lb)
- 2 cups of Kosher salt (this is the thick salt, if you use the regular may become too salty)
- 2 cups of sugar (just regular white sugar)
- ½ cup of dill (the dry herb)
HOW TO PREPARE IT:
1. In a big bowl mix the salt, sugar, and dill herb until you get a homogenous mixture.
2. Clean the salmon by rinsing it under cold water for a few seconds and drying it with a paper towel.
3. In the big and flat Tupperware lay a 1 inch layer of the sugar-dill-salt mixture and then lay the salmon filet, skin side up, on top. Cover with 1-2 inches of the herb mixture.
4. Cover with plastic wrap and set a weight on top. Refrigerate for 24 hours. You will know that is done when it gets a somewhat rigid consistency.
5. Quickly rinse the salmon under cold water and dry with paper towels.
At this point you can refrigerate the salmon for up to 5 days by putting it in a Tupperware or you can cut as needed and serve.
To prepare it to be served I usually place it in a cutting board and use a sharp knife to cut in the direction of where the head used to be. Try to get slices of about 1/8 of an inch.
My favorite way to serve it is spread on a plate topped with olive oil and accompanied with crackers. Enjoy!
Also, once sliced you can use it as a topping for a salad or sandwich.
