Gin-Cured Salmon

I've had this recipe from the L.A. Times sitting on my cookbook stand since February.  I haven't done a cured fish in a while, and there's plenty of gin in the house I don't drink.  Fortunately, the day I decided to start this, salmon was on sale.

Yes, preparing uncooked fish at home is scary.  We don't think twice about buying salmon sushi or lox, but making a preserved fish yourself seems like something doomed to failure and food poisoning.  Just remember that humans have been doing this for over a thousand years.  You're using a tested recipe.  And the quality and safety of fish in American markets meets a high standard.  If the fish doesn't look good to you, don't buy it.

That said, be safe about this.  Only use freshly cleaned surfaces and utensils.  Wash your hands often. I ran boiling water over the pliers after cleaning them, only to find out my filet didn't have any pin bones in it to pull.  I probably also used more salt than I should have (I was scaling it to a smaller piece of fish), just to make sure I didn't under-salt the cure.  After two days, it had a uniform leathery texture all the way through and a peppery undertone.  I did something right.  It was also a bit on the salty side, but I've been hyper-sensitive to salt the past week or so.  It might not have really been that salty to most.

The planted "living herbs" chives got a crew cut for this, but rebounded quickly and are ready to be used again a week later.  This is what I had in mind when I kept trying to grow my own from seed.

I also got to use my new mortar and pestle, which I bought myself for my birthday.  It's only about four inches, since I bought it specifically for cracking whole spices.  My coffee grinder had been doing the job, but it kind of disintegrated the last time I used it.  Had to pick plastic out of the coffee.

1/2 C coarse sea salt
*1/4 C plus 2 Tb (3 oz) honey
*2 Tb black peppercorns
1/2 C finely chopped chives
1 (1-1/2 lb) salmon fillet, skin on
*3 to 4 Tb gin

1.  In a dry pan over a low heat, toast the peppercorns until very dry.  Crack in a grinder, mortar and pestle, or with the back of a spoon in a bowl.  Combine with salt, honey, and chives.  Set aside.

2.  Leave the skin on the fish.  Pull out any pin bones with needle-nosed pliers that you keep in a kitchen drawer specifically for this purpose.  Don't raid the garage.

3.  Lay a piece of plastic wrap in a dish large enough to hold the fillet.  Place the fillet on it, skin-side down.  Brush the top of the salmon generously with the gin.

4.  Spread the cure mix over the flesh side of the fish, then wrap it tightly with the plastic wrap.  I didn't trust my wrapping and put on a second layer.

5.  Place the dish with the fillet in it in the fridge for about 48 hours, until the fish is firm to the touch. Unwrap, rinse off the cure, and pat dry.  It's going to be leathery and darker than it started.

6.  If not using immediately, wrap in parchment (not plastic wrap).  This will let it breathe without drying out.  I cut off the skin before slicing and found it made things easier, but I'd also just had my knife sharpened.  Cut the fillet very thinly on an angle and serve either on a salad or with toast.

Serves 6 to 8

Difficulty rating  π