Beet- and Horseradish-Cured Salmon Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How long should you cure salmon? ›

Equal parts salt + sugar (combined) 50% of the weight of the salmon. Coat, leave 24 hours for lightly cured, 36 hours for medium (this is what I do) and 48 hours for hard cure.

Salmon in all forms is delicious; whether grilled, roasted, or air-fried, we can't get enough of it. Yet, there's something especially delectable about salmon in its natural state.

Serve it with all the fixings—capers, hard-boiled eggs, tomatoes, cucumber, radishes, red onion and steamed potatoes. Lay out everything listed in the ingredients or just a few of the elements, along with an assortment of crackers, co*cktail bread or sliced baguette.

Arak is a Middle Eastern Arab anise liquor, and is not in any way part of the traditional way of making the Northern European gravlax. You can substitute with aquavit or vodka, or skip alcohol altogether.

Once or twice in my cured fish career, I have left salmon sitting too long in the juices that flow out after it's salted. If you wait much longer than about 12 hours before draining, the juices start to reabsorb, and the result is pretty puckery, especially below the waterline.

How do you know if smoked salmon has gone bad? Check for a strong, unpleasant odor and any signs of sliminess or a mushy texture to check if your salmon has gone bad. Look for discoloration or the presence of mold. If the taste is off or unpleasant, it is best to discard the smoked salmon.

Dry-salting fish, or curing them in a saturated salt brine, for 5-7 days before pickling will kill nematodes and tapeworms. Pickling without salt curing may not destroy some nematodes.

You'll know the salmon has fully cured based on feel; once the texture is firm when you gently squeeze it, it's ready to go. Similar to pickling, the outcome of flavor intensity and firmness in cured salmon is determined by the length of time it sits in the brine.

An unopened package might last up to three weeks in the fridge, while an opened package should be used within a week. Homemade cured salmon might only be good for a day, but the longer you cure it, the longer it will last. For long-term storage, the freezer is your best bet.

What is cured salmon called? ›

Lox — or “belly lox,” which is the actual name for it — is salmon that has been cured in salt. (Like gravlax, which is cured in sugar and salt, there's no smoking involved.)

Here's the main difference: smoked salmon is cured and then smoked, whereas lox is only cured, typically in a salt brine and typically for longer periods of time, but not smoked.

Gravlax is cured salmon, usually accompanied by Beer and Aquavit. A good wine will also do, but steer away from red wine.

According to the FDA, gravlax is acceptable and safe for eating.

There's something fishy about Sweden. It's called gravlax, central to the smorgasbord. Gravad lax, or dill-cured salmon, should preferably be served with a mustard sauce, which is French in origin. This marinated salmon dish, along with marinated herring, used to awaken suspicion among tourists.

Leave on an open rack in the bottom of the fridge to dry for up to 24 hours during which the surface will develop a slightly sticky outer skin or 'pellicule'. This will help absorb the smoke during cold smoking.

Place the salmon fillets on the plate skin side up. Transfer the plate to the refrigerator (uncovered or covered loosely with foil) and let the salmon rest at least 8 hours and up to 2 days (see Tip). The salmon will feel dry after this step. Pat the fillets dry before cooking if any moisture remains.

You'll know the salmon has fully cured based on feel; once the texture is firm when you gently squeeze it, it's ready to go. Similar to pickling, the outcome of flavor intensity and firmness in cured salmon is determined by the length of time it sits in the brine.

There are several ways to cure salmon, but salt is the primary ingredient used to cure fish everywhere in the world. It not only draws moisture out of the fish, the saline-rich environment also works through osmosis to draw water out of micro-organisms that cause spoilage, retarding their growth.