Lightly Salted Pink Salmon
Description
It works for holidays and everyday meals alike. Use coarse salt for curing. You can use fresh or frozen fish, thawing it slightly first. I keep the head and tail for fish soup, but you can salt the whole fish. A very tasty and as simple as it gets recipe—be sure to try making lightly salted pink salmon this way; any home cook can manage it. Great as a standalone appetizer for a festive table, as a base for many dishes, or simply on sandwiches for breakfast. Simple, delicious, and good for any occasion.
Instructions
- 1
Step 1
Prepare all the ingredients. If your fish is frozen, thaw it first, but not all the way. That will make it easier to fillet. I set aside the head and tail for fish soup. Rinse the fish thoroughly and gut it if needed. If you are using the head, for example for fish soup, clean it well too and remove the gills.
- 2
Step 2
Cut the fish into 2–3 slices, depending on size, then cut each slice in half. Remove the backbone, large bones, and fins. I carefully remove the skin, but you can leave it on. If you do, first scrape the fish thoroughly with a knife to remove the scales, then rinse. Weigh the fish; I ended up with 1 kg of prepared fillet.
- 3
Step 3
Mix the salt with the sugar (use coarse rock salt). Break the bay leaves with your hands. You can add seasoning to taste; I don't use any—I only add whole peppercorns. Rub the pink salmon pieces on all sides with the salt-and-sugar mixture.
- 4
Step 4
For each layer of fish, place black peppercorns and crushed bay leaves.
- 5
Step 5
Cover each layer with a second piece.
- 6
Step 6
Wrap the pieces in parchment or a clean tea towel and refrigerate for a day; you can also leave them for a couple of days.
- 7
Step 7
Pink salmon, lightly salted, is ready. You can then cut it into portion-sized pieces and serve.
- 8
Step 8
The appetizer is ready. Serve at the table.