Cured Salmon with Fennel and Carrot Salad
A elegant dish of home-cured salmon served with a fresh and crisp fennel-carrot salad on a bed of Greek yogurt. The salmon is cured with gin, fennel fronds, and aromatics for a Scandinavian-inspired delicacy.
Ingredients
- •1¼ cups kosher salt
- •½ cup sugar
- •½ cup chopped fennel fronds
- •¼ cup gin or aquavit
- •1½ pound salmon fillet
- •2 medium carrots
- •1 medium fennel bulb
- •1 whole lemon
- •3 tablespoon olive oil
- •1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- •to taste Kosher salt
- •1 cup plain Greek yogurt
- •to taste Fennel flowers or fennel pollen
Cooking Instructions
- 1.
Mix salt, sugar, fennel fronds, and gin in a medium bowl (mixture should feel like wet sand). Spread half of salt mixture in a shallow baking dish. Place salmon on top and cover with remaining salt mixture.
10 min
- 2.
Press a sheet of plastic wrap over salmon and place a smaller dish or heavy pan on top (it should be small enough to fit inside the dish so it rests directly on top of salmon). Add a couple of heavy cans to empty baking dish to weigh down salmon. Chill, turning occasionally, until flesh is firm and slightly darkened in color, 1-2 days. Rinse salmon and pat dry.
2880 min
- 3.
Do ahead: Salmon can be cured 1 week ahead. Tightly wrap and chill.
- 4.
Toss carrots, fennel bulb, and lemon slices with oil and lemon juice in a large bowl; season with salt and let sit at room temperature until slightly softened, about 30 minutes.
30 min
- 5.
Thinly slice cured salmon at an angle against the grain.
10 min
- 6.
Season yogurt with salt, spread on plates, and top with cured salmon, fennel and carrot salad, fennel fronds, and fennel flowers, if using.
10 min
