Home-cured Salmon
Lox, Gravlax, Nova, Gaspe or Balik - It's Easy and Delicious
Salmon and Serendipity
It's a happy coincidence when a favorite food magazine covers a technique or an ingredient you happen to have on hand. With pounds (and pounds) of Wild Alaskan King Salmon in the freezer, and a little prodding from this month's Saveur, there was no hesitation. Lox it would be. Made at home. With ingredients on hand.
So what exactly does it mean to “cure” fish?
Food preservation used to involve salt or brine, smoking or drying. We're talking about the days before refrigeration. Lox can be produced at home using these ancient methods.
Dating back centuries ago, in Sweden “gravlax” were made by burying salted salmon. While this would certainly work, even today to preserve fresh fish, it's quite a smelly product in the end. Just think of kimchee. Variations on the method and the ingredients give us less funky, and delicious results.
Recipes and Variations
A combination of science and art, as usual, produces the best results. Often new cooks will adhere carefully to the exact letter of a recipe. If it's a first attempt, that's not necessarily bad advice. Once you've acquired some confidence in the kitchen, some trust in your palate, you can find great joy in improvisation.
No fresh dill? Why go out in the rain? Think of your own taste memories and what flavors complement salmon. Find the Saveur recipe here. (There's also a great chart describing and different varieties with pictures of each.)
Today's Variation on the Theme - Lox du Jour
Grind together in a small food processor:
- 1 TBSP white peppercorns
- ~ 1 TBSP green peppercorns
- ~ 1 TBSP cubeb peppercorns
- 1 TBSP fennel seeds
- 1 TBSP caraway seeds
- 5 juniper berries
- 1 tsp coriander seeds
- 2/3 C smoked kosher salt*
- 1/3 C sugar
Pat over salmon filet, then drizzle on:
- 1/3 C absinthe
Wrap in plastic, place in zip top bag. Turn, massage a little. Weight it if you like. Use or omit the alcohol. 48-72 hours are recommended. Salmon will be firm to the touch. See how forgiving a recipe can be?
The Science Behind the Techniques
Curing pulls moisture (water) from the fish, and simultaneously encourages the fat cells to absorb the spices applied. Weighting the fish (wrapped in plastic and in a container) speeds this transfer and the removal of water.
Alcohol used traditionally in Sweden is Aquavit which is caraway flavored. Alcohol helps the flavors penetrate the cell structure of the fish and releases the flavors in the aromatic seeds and spices.
Here's where the art comes in: absinthe is an herbal alcohol with strong anise or licorice flavors. Think of how well salmon goes with fennel. So Absinthe (on hand) replaces Aquavit (fresh out – okay, you're right, never had it...)
Scanning the recipe (on page 38) allowed for a quick assessment of proportions, notation of the balance of flavors, a review of the technique and variations. Reading the article could wait. Later review revealed juniper, coriander, fennel or Pernod as suggested variations. Everyone needs a little validation now and then. Hooray!
Choosing Salmon
Salmon is one of the most debated fishes, the most talked about fishes today. It is rich in healthy Omega 3 fat, but stocks are dwindling. Wild salmon runs are diminishing, stocks are depleted. Farming techniques are often environmentally hazardous.
Salmon farming can release huge amounts of waste into the ocean environment. Disease, pests and sea lice can spread to the wild population from farms. Antibiotics and pesticides used by salmon farms to combat these problems can remain in the fish ingested downstream by the consumer. Sustainability is an issue, too since most farmed salmon require a 3:1 ratio and they're top of the feeding chain, carnivorous. That means that it takes three pounds of other fish to produce one pound of farmed salmon.
To learn more about how to choose salmon wisely, see here.
Wild Alaskan King Salmon are one of the few healthy Salmon choices left; for you and for the environment. Responsible watchdog organizations such as the Marine Stewardship Council and the Seafood Watch Program of the Monterey Bay Aquarium both designate Wild Alaskan Salmon as a good choice when choosing salmon. Make this a "treat" not a too-frequent dish and you'll enjoy it more, longer.
How to Serve
- One elegant way to serve salmon is on the stem-end of an endive leaf.
- A thin potato crisp is lovely, as are the traditional Swedish flat breads.
