Brown Sugar Cured Salmon Food

BROWN SUGAR-CURED SALMON

Steps:

• Pat fish dry with paper towels. In a small bowl, combine sugar, salt, pepper, spices and zest. Rub mixture all over fish. Place in a dish, cover and let cure in the fridge for at least 4 hours and preferably 8 hours. Rinse fillets and pat dry. Generously oil salmon.
• Light the grill. Once coals are hot, scatter drained hickory chips over coals. (If you're using a gas grill, place them in a disposable metal pan on the grill next to the salmon.)
• Place salmon flesh-side down on grill and cover, closing top vent so not much smoke is released. Smoke salmon, covered, for about 5 to 6 minutes, then flip. (If the fish is sticking to the grill grate, then it's not ready to flip. Cook for another 3 to 10 minutes, depending upon how hot your fire is. The fish is done when the interior is medium pink and exterior crisp and smoky. Serve with lemon wedges.

TEQUILA CURED SALMON

Steps:

• On top of a layer of aluminum foil and plastic wrap (enough to make a pouch), put the salmon on a baking sheet skin-side down. Pat the top dry with paper towels. Combine the coriander, mustard and cumin seeds in a small saute pan over low heat and toast, stirring constantly until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Remove, let cool slightly and coarsely grind in a coffee grinder.
• Spread the chipotle over the top of the salmon fillet. Sprinkle the ground spices, lime zest and cilantro over and press into the flesh. Combine the salt and brown sugar in a bowl, drizzle with the tequila and then spread evenly over the salmon. Tightly wrap the salmon in the plastic wrap and aluminum foil. Place another baking sheet on top of the salmon and weigh down with bricks wrapped in foil or a heavy cutting board. Refrigerate for 48 hours.
• Remove the salmon from the refrigerator and scrape off the curing ingredients. When cured, the fish should have a raw appearance and a firm but not hard texture. Slice the salmon against the grain paper thin and serve with accompaniments of choice.
• Serving Suggestions: .
• Combine the vinegar, lime juice, sugar, salt, coriander seeds, mustard seeds and peppercorns in a small saucepan over high heat. Cook until the sugar and salt is dissolved. Remove from the heat and let cool for 5 minutes.
• Put the onions in a medium bowl, pour the vinegar mixture over and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 48 hours before serving.
• Combine the cream cheese, goat cheese, milk and salt and pepper to taste in a food processor and process until smooth and fluffy. Scrape into a bowl and fold in the scallions and dill.;
• Combine the cream cheese, milk and salt and pepper to taste in a food processor and process until smooth and fluffy. Scrape into a bowl and fold in the cilantro and jalapeno.;

SMOKED SALMON

Steps:

• In a bowl, mix together salt, sugar, brown sugar and peppercorns. Spread extra-wide aluminum foil a little longer than the length of the fish and top with an equally long layer of plastic wrap. Sprinkle 1/3 of the rub onto the plastic. Lay 1 side of the fish skin down onto the rub. Sprinkle 1/3 of the rub onto the flesh of the salmon. Place second side of salmon, flesh down onto the first side. Use the remaining rub to cover the skin on the top piece. Fold plastic over to cover then close edges of foil together and crimp tightly around the fish. Place wrapped fish onto a plank or sheet pan and top with another plank or pan. Weigh with a heavy phone book or a brick or two and refrigerate for 12 hours. Flip the fish over and refrigerate another 12 hours. Some juice will leak out during the process so make sure there's a place for the runoff to gather. Unwrap fish and rinse off the cure with cold water. Pat salmon with paper towels then place in a cool, dry place (not the refrigerator) until the surface of the fish is dry and matte-like, 1 to 3 hours depending on humidity. A fan may be used to speed the process. Smoke fish (see Note) over smoldering hardwood chips or sawdust, keeping the temperature inside the smoker between 150 degrees F and 160 degrees F until the thickest part of the fish registers 150 degrees. Serve immediately or cool to room temperature, wrap tightly and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Cook's Note: Trout, mackerel, and bluefish also smoke well.

SLOW ROASTED BROWN SUGAR AND DILL CURED SALMON

Steps:

• Combine first 3 ingredients in a bowl. Place fish, skin side down, in a 13 x 9-inch baking dish. Rub sugar mixture over fish. Cover and refrigerate 8 hours.
• Preheat oven to 175°.
• Wipe off remaining sugar mixture from fish with a paper towel. Coat a jelly-roll pan with cooking spray. Place fish, skin side down, in pan.
• Bake at 175° for 1 hour and 10 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork or until desired degree of doneness.
• Combine mayonnaise and mustard; stir well. Serve mayonnaise mixture with fish.

BROWN SUGAR SALMON

Steps:

• Combine brown sugar, maple syrup, and soy sauce in a glass dish. Add salmon and marinate in the refrigerate for 20 minutes, turning salmon after 10 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Remove salmon from marinade, letting excess drip off, and place on a baking sheet. Discard excess marinade.
• Bake in the preheated oven until salmon flakes easily with a fork, about 20 minutes.

CITRUS-CURED SALMON

Steps:

• Combine salt, granulated sugar, brown sugar, peppercorns, coriander seeds, fennel seeds, and red pepper flakes in a medium bowl. Spread half of curing mix in the center of a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet roughly the same size as the fish. Place fish, skin side down, on curing mixture. Spread lemon zest, lime zest, and orange zest evenly over fish; cover with remaining curing mixture. Bring edges of foil up and over salmon and crimp to enclose. Place another baking sheet on top of salmon and weigh down with several large cans or a heavy pot. Chill, unwrapping and flipping fish halfway through, 24 hours.
• Rinse fish and pat dry; place, skin side down, on a cutting board. Using your longest, sharpest knife and wiping down blade with a moist towel between slices, cut on a diagonal 1/8"-1/4" thick, leaving skin behind.
• Do Ahead
• Salmon can be cured 3 days ahead. Cover tightly and chill.

BROWN-SUGAR GRAVLAX

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, combine the salt, brown sugar, peppercorns, and dill to make the dry cure. In a small bowl, combine lemon juice, oil, brandy, and whiskey; stir.
• Lay salmon, skin-sides down, on a clean, dry surface. Brush liquid mixture generously over fish. Pack dry cure evenly over fillets; wrap tightly with two layers of plastic wrap.
• Place one piece of fish, skin-side down, in a pan large enough to accommodate the fish. Place the other piece of fish, skin-side up, on top of the first. Place a cutting board on top of the fish, and weigh down board with soup cans or bricks. Chill 24 hours.
• Remove weights, unwrap fish, and drain liquid. Wrap fish again tightly in two fresh layers of plastic, reversing position of top and bottom pieces. Place weights on top; return to refrigerator. Chill 24 hours more.
• Repeat step 4.
• Unwrap the salmon, and scrape off the dry cure. Slice the salmon on the bias as thinly as possible, and serve. The gravlax can be stored, wrapped in plastic, in the refrigerator up to 3 days.

BROWN SUGAR-GLAZED SALMON

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425°. Cut salmon into 4 portions; place in a foil-lined 15x10x1-in. pan. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast 10 minutes. Remove from oven; preheat broiler., In a small saucepan, mix remaining ingredients; bring just to a boil. Brush over salmon. Broil 6 in. from heat until fish just begins to flake easily with a fork, 1-2 minutes.

GRAVLAX (SWEDISH SUGAR AND SALT CURED SALMON)

Steps:

• Remove any small bones from the fillets with a pair of tweezers or needle-nosed pliers.
• Mix the sugar, salt and pepper in a bowl.
• Cover the bottom of a baking dish with 1/3 the dill and rub half of the sugar-salt mixture into the first fillet, on both sides, and lay it skin side down on top of the dill.
• Cover with 1/3 of dill.
• Prepare the other salmon fillet in the same way, and cover with the remaining fillet, skin side up, with the remaining dill on top.
• Cover in plastic wrap, place a cutting board with some heavy weights on top and marinate in the refrigerator for 24 hours.
• Remove from plastic wrap and discard accumulated juices.
• Rewrap and refrigerate another 24- 48 hours.
• Scrape off the marinade and slice paper thin.
• Serve with Mustard Dill Sauce (Recipe #68168).