Recipe from Brian Polcyn
Adapted by Ian Fisher
- Total Time
- 30 minutes, plus 3 days' curing
- Rating
- 4(248)
- Notes
- Read community notes
This is a good first foray into curing because the process is simple and relatively quick and the reward considerable. Thanks to the beets, the color on the outside of the salmon is a deep, rich fuchsia.And don't be afraid to use fresh horseradish if you can find it; just be careful. —Ian Fisher
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Ingredients
Yield:12 servings
- 6ounces horseradish, grated fresh, or prepared, well drained
- 1salmon fillet, about 3 pounds, skin on
- 1pound red beets, raw, peeled and grated, juice included
- 1large bunch fresh dill, roughly chopped
- ½cup plus 2 tablespoons/5 ounces granulated sugar
- 1cup plus 2 tablespoons/6 ounces kosher salt (See note.)
- ¼cup/1 ounce cracked black pepper
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (12 servings)
176 calories; 5 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 1 gram monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 27 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams dietary fiber; 24 grams sugars; 8 grams protein; 251 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
Step
1
If using fresh horseradish, peel, cut into chunks and process in a food processor, using the steel blade. Do not grate it by hand; the fumes will be overpowering. Drape the food processor with a damp towel and carefully crack the lid, under the towel, to absorb the fumes.
Step
2
Remove pin bones from salmon and set aside. In a large stainless steel or glass bowl, combine horseradish and remaining ingredients, wearing gloves to avoid turning your hands purple.
Step
3
Choose a nonreactive pan that is just large enough to hold the salmon fillet or line a pan with plastic wrap. Drizzle a little of the beet mixture on pan and place the salmon, skin-side down, on top. Cover the flesh with remaining beet mixture, making it thinner on tail and belly section and thicker everywhere else.
Step
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Cover with plastic wrap, place another pan on top, and weight with cans. Cure in refrigerator for 3 days.
Step
5
Gently scrape off beet mixture and discard. Cut salmon in thin slices and serve. Whole fillet, well wrapped in plastic, will last 1 week refrigerated.
Tip
- Kosher salts are made through different processes, and as a result differ in weight. The kosher salt tested was Diamond Crystal; Morton weighs almost twice as much, so use less, about ⅔ cup.
Ratings
4
out of 5
248
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Private Notes
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Cooking Notes
Joyce
I've been making a simpler version of lox for a while now, usually a one pound piece cut from the middle of the fillet so it's of equal thickness throughout. 1 cup sugar and 1 cup salt distributed as in this recipe, then fronds of dill on top. Wrap in plastic wrap and cure as above. Once cured, after rinsing, remove the skin (very yummy roasted separately) and leave the rewrapped salmon in the fridge for another day. It dries out a bit more and makes slicing on the diagonal easier.
Mollyo
The fattiness of the salmon in the photo makes me think it's Atlantic salmon (the standard for lox in NYC), which is softer and lighter in taste and color than Pacific, and nearly always farmed. Thanks for posting this; I would have tried it with wild Pacific salmon (I live in Seattle) but will probably stick to my usual gravlax recipe (salt, sugar, dill, pepper & allspice, similar to what others have mentioned here).
Oded Kishony
interesting recipe-I like the striking visual! However lox isn't lox unless it's been cold smoked (IMHO)
There is a simple way to cold smoke using a barbeque grill.
fill zip lock bag with water and freeze, place bag in pan and fish over the ice
Google image of 'tin can cold smoker' for simple smoke generator,
place in closed grill as far from fish as possible. One hour of smoking is usually sufficient.
Joyce
Sugar helps feed the good bacteria that cures the salmon. Apparently dextrose works even better. Either will cut the saltiness. I don't know the minimum but I have seen 1/2 cup sugar to 1 cup salt. Of course it all gets rinsed off after anyway.
Charles
Ruth Reichl, once of the NY Times, and Editor in Chief of Gourmet magazine, tweeted about this specific recipe:
Danger! Before you follow today's NY Times recipe for cured salmon, you should read this: http://www.gourmet.com/foodpolitics/2008/08/raw-salmon-tapeworm.html
People do this all the time, but I don't know how many of them catch a parasitic infection, perhaps without even knowing about it for a long time. I think I'll leave cold-curing salmon to the experts, myself.
John
Can this be made without the beets. I really do not like beets.
Mollyo
Almost all salmon sold in the US is flash frozen at sea at very low temps, which kills parasites & bacteria (and keeps the fish very fresh until it's sold). Ask at your supermarket or fish shop, if not marked. Here in Seattle they're marked "previously frozen." This may not have been as common in 2008 when the Ruth Reichl article came out.
Kaytee
I purchased regular salmon from the fish counter and seems to have worked just fine!
Andrew
Depending on the thickness, three days is on the long side for this. The longer, the more cured and harder. For softer, try 2 days or even 36 hours.
OUTSTANDING recipe!
I used Yukon River Keta salmon from Alaska with this preparation and it was so incredible! This will definitely be a family holiday tradition! Excellent recipe!
PSP
I'm also in the PNW. I did this with steelhead. It worked OK but I don't think the beets added much besides color and the mess and effort involved with using them (both before and after) wasn't worth it. It was pretty for sure. The salt was too heavy after scraping the cure away, but rinsing it in cold water and patting it dry loved the problem.
Mike RC
Much better a couple of days after removing from the brine. Wrapped in cling wrap refrigerated, flavor really comes together.
Ilana
One thing I am not clear on is whether the salmon has to be sushi-grade and cleared for raw consumption or that is not necessary since the curing process would kill parasites. I've read mixed opinions.
Charles
Ruth Reichl, once of the NY Times, and Editor in Chief of Gourmet magazine, tweeted about this specific recipe:
Danger! Before you follow today's NY Times recipe for cured salmon, you should read this: http://www.gourmet.com/foodpolitics/2008/08/raw-salmon-tapeworm.html
People do this all the time, but I don't know how many of them catch a parasitic infection, perhaps without even knowing about it for a long time. I think I'll leave cold-curing salmon to the experts, myself.
Kaytee
I purchased regular salmon from the fish counter and seems to have worked just fine!
Ferguson
Thank you Charles for posting the link to Ruth's tweet. I just roasted all the salmon and beets. We will have leftovers but I won't have to worry about giving my houseguests a tapeworm. I would have been so sorry to have read your note after preparing the salmon or even worse serving it. I don't like to gamble with other people's health.
Rog
Is the second pan (placed on top of the salmon with cans in it) meant to press down on the salmon, or just cover it? Thanks whoever answers.
Joyce
Press down.
John
Can this be made without the beets. I really do not like beets.
George Burger
Sure-in fact this is the first recipe I've seen using beets. I'll try it as I like beets but just google Gravlax. I've been using Martha Stewart's recipe for years. It's excellent.
Charlene
I made this for a party at Christmas last year and I must say, it wasn't a big hit. The color in the photograph was what prompted me to,try it in the first place, but my version was not nearly so pretty. And the flavour? Meh.
I live on Vancouver Island where we get fresh caught wild salmon of many different varieties so it wasn't the fish that caused me to not like it.
Mollyo
The fattiness of the salmon in the photo makes me think it's Atlantic salmon (the standard for lox in NYC), which is softer and lighter in taste and color than Pacific, and nearly always farmed. Thanks for posting this; I would have tried it with wild Pacific salmon (I live in Seattle) but will probably stick to my usual gravlax recipe (salt, sugar, dill, pepper & allspice, similar to what others have mentioned here).
Elizabeth
Is sugar required for the curing process? What if sugar is omitted? What's the absolute least amount of sugar necessary for this recipe to work?
Ohiofem
I've been making gravlax with salt pepper and dill for many years without the sugar. It tastes great. I don't know why so many American recipes add sugar when it is not needed.
Eva
Not a concern - everything gets scraped off before you eat it. Extremely little sugar (maybe 5% tops?) ends up in the fish - it does not taste sweet.
Joyce
Sugar helps feed the good bacteria that cures the salmon. Apparently dextrose works even better. Either will cut the saltiness. I don't know the minimum but I have seen 1/2 cup sugar to 1 cup salt. Of course it all gets rinsed off after anyway.
Joyce
I've been making a simpler version of lox for a while now, usually a one pound piece cut from the middle of the fillet so it's of equal thickness throughout. 1 cup sugar and 1 cup salt distributed as in this recipe, then fronds of dill on top. Wrap in plastic wrap and cure as above. Once cured, after rinsing, remove the skin (very yummy roasted separately) and leave the rewrapped salmon in the fridge for another day. It dries out a bit more and makes slicing on the diagonal easier.
Alice Davis
If you like your Gravlax 'well cured' you can also cut a few slits in the thicker part of the filet so the curing mix gets down in there and cures the center part. I also flip it over every 12-15 hours . The beets in this recipe remind me of the recipes from the Swedish restaurant up near Lincoln Center in the 80's. Aquavit(?) My time tested recipe comes from those time life cook book series - this one: The Cooking of Scandanavia.
Fred Wishnie
Like you, I've been making my own with just salt, some sugar and dill. I can't imagine that the horseradish doesn't drastically change the flavor profile.
Oded Kishony
interesting recipe-I like the striking visual! However lox isn't lox unless it's been cold smoked (IMHO)
There is a simple way to cold smoke using a barbeque grill.
fill zip lock bag with water and freeze, place bag in pan and fish over the ice
Google image of 'tin can cold smoker' for simple smoke generator,
place in closed grill as far from fish as possible. One hour of smoking is usually sufficient.
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