Pastrami Cured Salmon Recipes

Steps:

• Three days before you want to serve the salmon, put it, skin-side down, in a rimmed dish. Combine the salt and sugar, then set aside.
• Fry the coriander seeds, ground coriander, caraway seeds and peppercorns in a small dry frying pan set over a medium heat for 2-3 mins. Tip into a spice grinder or small food processor along with the bay, and blitz until finely ground. Stir the spice mixture into the salt and sugar mix. Pat the spiced salt mixture all over and around the salmon so it's well packed onto the flesh. Wrap tightly in cling film, then set a plate or board and something heavy (such as a couple of cans) on top to weigh the fish down. Chill for 48 hrs.
• Heat the paprika, cayenne and black treacle in a pan until loosened, then remove from the heat and leave to cool slightly until just warm. Brush the excess salt off the salmon and rinse the fish under cold running water. Pat dry with kitchen paper, then transfer to a clean dish. Brush with the warm treacle mixture until well coated (you may need to generously brush the fish several times before the coating covers the fish well), then wrap in a fresh sheet of cling film. Chill for another 24 hrs.
• When you're ready to serve, set the salmon on a board and thinly slice with a sharp knife, avoiding the layer of skin at the bottom. Serve with soft cheese, rye bread or bagels, pickles and some chopped dill for everyone to help themselves.

Steps:

• Place salmon on a platter. In a bowl, combine salt, sugar and one tablespoon of the cracked pepper. Mix well, and coat both sides of the salmon with mixture.
• In a food processor combine coriander, parsley and shallots. Puree until smooth but not watery. Coat both sides of salmon with mixture.
• Cover, and refrigerate salmon for 2 to 3 days.
• Scrape marinade from fish, and discard. Dry fish with paper towels.
• In a saucepan, combine molasses, cayenne and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, and simmer for one minute. Allow molasses mixture to cool slightly. Using a brush, paint fish on both sides with the mixture.
• Sprinkle paprika, coriander, 2 tablespoons of the ground black pepper and the cracked pepper on both sides of fish. Refrigerate salmon overnight.
• Cut salmon widthwise on a bias into thin slices. Serve with mustard oil and rye toast

Steps:

• Put the peppercorns in a spice mill and crush to a coarse grind. In a bowl combine the pepper, sugar and salt and blend well together.
• Place the bunches of cilantro, dill, and scallions together in the bowl of a food processor and process until finely chopped.
• Rinse some cheese cloth under cold running water. Unfold the cheese cloth and lay a large piece out on your work surface. The cloth will have to be large enough to wrap completely around the salmon several times.
• Choose the freshest salmon possible for this dish as this is a cured but not cooked dish and fresh really counts. Cut the fish fillet into two equal pieces and lay it, skin side down, in the center of the cheesecloth. Spread the sugar, salt, and pepper mixture evenly over the salmon flesh. Spread the chopped herbs in the same manner and then sprinkle the tequila over the herbs. The flesh of the salmon should be totally coated in this curing seasoning.
• Once all the tequila has been absorbed, sandwich the two fillets together, fleshtoflesh and skinsidesout. Position the fillet "sandwich" in the center of the cloth and wrap as you would a gift, pulling the cloth as tightly as possible around the fillets. Lay the package on a cake cooling rack set over a cookie sheet. The rack allows air to circulate for more efficient drying, while the cookie sheet will catch the liquid extracted during the threeday curing period. Put the weight in a second, smaller cake pan and place it on top of the fish. The weight must be properly and
• evenly distributed so as to press out the unwanted water.
• Place the entire curing setup in the bottom, the coldest area, of your refrigerator and begin the 3 day curing process. Remove the weight and flip the fish package over every 24 hours, replacing the weight each time. Drain off and discard any liquid that collects in the pan when you do this. At the end of the 72 hours the fish must be cleaned. Remove the cheesecloth and discard it. Drain any accumulated liquid, scrape off all of the used herbs and salt and pepper. Rinse the fish under cold running water and pat the fish totally dry.
• The salmon is now fully cured and as entirely edible as smoked salmon but must be kept refrigerated.
• To serve, finely chop one cup of fresh cilantro and cover the flesh side of the fish. Using a very sharp knife, slice the salmon as thinly as possible, at a 45 degree angle. Your first slices may look a bit rough, but be patient. With a little practice you'll soon be turning out elegant greenedged red ribbons of gravlax.
• Mix the mustard and confectioner's sugar and serve with pumpernickel and wedges of lime.
• Weight for weighing down the salmon as it cures, such as unopened plastic bags of dried beans, or gallon jugs of cooking oil .

Steps:

• Split fish crosswise into 2 equal pieces, and remove the bones. Wash, and wipe the skin. Combine salt, sugar, 1 tablespoon peppercorns and 1 tablespoon coriander seeds, and sprinkle over flesh side of fish.
• Place the two halves' flesh sides together. Place in an enamel or glass container, and cover tightly. Place a brick or other heavy weight on the salmon and refrigerate for three or four days, turning occasionally.
• Coarsely grind remaining peppercorns, coriander seeds and mustard seeds. Scrape salt mixture off the fish, and sprinkle with ground mixture, lightly pressing into the flesh. The salmon can be refrigerated at this point. To serve, slice salmon very thinly, and serve with lemon wedges and light toast, if desired.

Steps:

• For the brine: In a large stockpot, add half of the water, the brown sugar, kosher salt, curing salt, coriander seeds, mustard seeds, fennel seeds, juniper berries, chile flakes, bay leaves, cloves, cinnamon and star anise and bring to a boil. Then simmer for 30 minutes. Add the remaining water with some ice to chill the brine.
• For the rub: Grind the peppercorns, coriander and juniper until crushed but still a little chunky. Add to a mixing bowl. Add the salt, brown sugar, chile flakes and granulated garlic and stir to combine.
• For the pastrami: First, clean all the fat off the brisket including the "V" between the two muscles, then follow the fat between the two muscles and separate them making a flat and a cap.
• Transfer the brine to a large hotel pan or roasting pan. Add the brisket and refrigerate at least 5 days and no more than 10 days. Make sure the brisket is stirred once a day to get an evenly brined brisket.
• After a minimum of 5 days, prepare a smoker for 225 degrees F.
• Remove the pastrami, rinse it and blot dry with paper towels. Thoroughly rub the brined brisket with the pastrami rub. Place in smoker and cook for 8 hours until the internal temperature reaches 210 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 400°. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Reduce to simmer and parboil potatoes until they begin to soften, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a foil-lined pan, toss with 1 tbsp oil and salt and pepper to taste; arrange in a single layer and bake until fork-tender and golden brown, turning once, 30 minutes.
• Place peppercorns and coriander on a paper towel lined cutting board. Using the bottom of a heavy pot, press down until they crack; set aside. In a large, ovensafe pan over medium-high heat, heat remaining 1 tsp oil. Cook salmon, turning once, until browned, 2 minutes per side; remove from heat.
• In a bowl, combine molasses, salt, paprika and cayenne; brush onto both sides of salmon and sprinkle with crushed spices. Bake salmon until cooked through, 3 to 5 minutes. Serve with potatoes tossed with parsley.

Steps:

• Prepare grill.
• Combine first 7 ingredients. Place salmon fillet, skin side down, on a cutting board or work surface; brush evenly with olive oil. Sprinkle spice mixture evenly over salmon; gently rub mixture into fish. Cover lightly with plastic wrap, and chill 15 minutes.
• Place fish, skin side down, on a grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 10 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork.