I lived for a year in Stockholm, Sweden as an exchange student. It was a thrill to be immersed in Scandinavian culture, which includes eating a lot of cured salmon or gravlax for breakfast, lunch and dinner! I created this version with an addition of grated beets and orange zest for a luscious and gorgeous result. The salmon cures with a stunning gradation of color from deep red to rosy pink to orange (much like a sunrise) and the flavor is superb.
It is quite simple to cure salmon. I use skinless salmon which allows the beet color and flavor to cure into the fish. The curing process takes about 24 hours. Use the thinly sliced salmon on bagels, in eggs or on traditional Swedish open-faced sandwiches on rye or pumpernickel bread with crème fraiche, shaved radish and onion, fresh dill, capers and lemon wedges.
Yields: About 14 (two ounce) servings
2 Pounds skinless, boneless Verlasso salmon filet
½ Pound of raw red beets, scrubbed and trimmed
1 Large or two small bunches of fresh dill
1½ Teaspoons coriander seeds, crushed
1 Large orange
1½ Inch piece of ginger, scrubbed and peeled (scrape off peel with the back of a spoon)
½ Cup sugar
1 Cup of Kosher salt (smaller grains of salt will make this much too salty)
1. The salmon produces dark red liquid as it cures, so you will need to set up a drip tray. Place a small wire rack onto a rimmed baking sheet or set a perforated pan onto a solid pan. Place a large sheet of wax paper onto the rack or perforated pan.
2. With gloves on, preferably in a clean sink to prevent spatter, finely grate the beet. Lay the grated beet on the wax paper in the shape of the salmon and place the dill on top. Lay the salmon top-side down (not the side where the skin used to be) on top of the dill and beet.
3. In a small bowl, stir together the sugar and salt.
4. Zest the orange and ginger over the bottom side of the fish. (I use a zest/tap/ zest/ tap method to more evenly distribute the damp ingredients). Evenly sprinkle the coriander seeds on top and then add the salt and sugar mixture. Cover with wax paper and plastic wrap.
5. Refrigerate for 24 to 36 hours, check that your drip tray is not about to overflow. Scrape away the beet and dill and cure mixture.
6. To serve, slice thinly on an angle and prepare as suggested above or any way that you like your cured salmon.
