Alaska Seafood Cookbook
Alaskan Chef's Table Recipe:
Sweet Onion Marmalade
- 1 red
- onion, minced
- 1 cup
- brown sugar
- 1/2 cup
- red wine vinegar
Simple Salmon Gravlax on Toast Points
- 1lb.
- King or Silver Salmon
- 3 Tbsp
- Kosher Salt
- 1/4 cup
- Brown Sugar
- 2 Tbsp
- fresh dill, fennel, or 2 tbsp. dried crushed fennel seeds
- lemons
- Zest of 2
- 1 tsp.
- cracked or ground pepper
- ¼ cup
- vodka or cognac (optional)
- Garnish:
- thinly sliced red onion
- 6 slices
- rye bread, crust removed, cut in triangles and toasted
Pull pin bones from fillet.
In a two-inch deep glass or ceramic dish that fits the fish closely, mix salt, sugar, herbs, lemon zest, and liquor. Spread this mixture evenly over both sides of the fillet. Wrap the coated salmon in plastic cellophane; place in pan. Take slightly smaller size pan or similar flat object and place on top of fish. Weight the top of pan with something heavy to press on the fillet and draw moisture out.
Refrigerate for up to 36 hours.
The salmon should be firm to the touch at the thickest party of fillet when fully cured. If, after 24 hours, your salmon is still a little soft, pour the excess juices and brine over the fi sh, put it back in the refrigerator and check it again in 12 more hours. Repeat process until fish is completely cured.
Rinse off any undissolved salt or sugar from the salmon to discover the salmon is slightly weathered looking. It should not be shiny, but transformed into a perfectly dense, flavor-packed dish.
Slice the salmon at an angle as thinly as possible with a sharp, thin-bladed knife. Don’t worry about the skin; it’s harder to cut than you’d imagine, so it’s easy to just leave it behind and intact.
Spread the slices on top of toasted rye bread and garnish with onion marmalade. Gravlax will last one week in refrigerator, or wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and foil for two months in freezer.
