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Christmas Baked Salmon: Easy & Make-ahead

Nagi — Tue, 14 Dec 2021 18:00:00 +0000

Your Christmas main dish for this year has just landed!! Have you ever seen a Baked Salmon look so festive?? And it’s so EASY! First published in December 2020, this Christmas recipe was an instant hit with readers. Featuring a honey butter-glazed side of salmon baked in foil, slathered with creamy dill sauce and finally topped with a Holiday “Tapenade”, this pays extremely high dividends for minimal effort.

For all my best Christmas recipes, browse the new Christmas recipe index!

Festive Baked Salmon!

Every year I try to come up with one great centrepiece Christmas main dish that is you can make-ahead and is super simple, but still has that extra wow factor that will make YOU the star at Christmas Dinner….

This is what I’ve come up with this year: A festive Baked Salmon!

It is:

Baked with a Honey Garlic Butter Glaze in foil;
Slathered with a Creamy Dill Sauce;
Topped with a Holiday “Tapenade” of dried cranberries, almonds and parsley; and
Finished with pomegranate for a shower of festive colour and a generous dousing of fresh lemon juice.

The flavour and textural combination is stellar! It’s mostly savoury with hints of sweet, and that creamy dill sauce is a natural pairing with salmon. Finally the Holiday Tapenade topping just sings of festivities!

Have I emphasised enough yet how easy this is to make?? Read on!

Overview: How to make Christmas Baked Salmon

Simmer 3-ingredient Honey Glaze for 2 minutes;
Pour over salmon then bake wrapped in foil (easy clean up!);
Spread cooked salmon with 4-ingredient Lemon Dill Sauce, 4-ingredient “Tapenade” (topping mix);
Sprinkle with pomegranate seeds, drizzle with lemon juice;
Serve warm or at room temperature. Now sit back and bask in praise!

What you need for this Festive Baked Salmon

Here’s what you need for this festive Baked Salmon.

1. Side of salmon

This is one side of a whole salmon. It should not be flavoured or pre-marinated in any way. If frozen, thaw thoroughly overnight in the fridge covered, and then pat dry very well (frozen fish gets watery);
Skin on – for easier handling. Once cooked, the skin will hold the salmon together. Without it, there’s a higher change the flesh flakes open when transferring to the tray. Interestingly, I have never seen a side of salmon sold without skin – this may well be the reason; and
Bones removed – Your fishmonger should have already done this, but just double check. Run your fingers across the surface, especially along the mid-line (where the spine was) where pin bone culprits sometimes hide. Check the belly section carefully too. If there are bones, use fish boning tweezers or just personal grooming tweezers to pull them out (pinch and yank with conviction!). Clean small pliers also work.

2. Honey Glaze for salmon

This is used to bake the salmon so it gets infused with incredible sweet-buttery-garlicky flavour while it bakes. Here’s what you need:

To make the Honey Glaze, all you do is plonk everything in a saucepan and simmer for a couple of minutes to thicken slightly and bring all the flavours together.

3. Baking the salmon

The salmon is baked in foil which is handy for minimal clean up, but actually the main reason is because it holds the glaze around the salmon better while it bakes!

Here’s how the salmon is cooked:

Line a tray with foil. (Recommended: A double layer of foil for leakage protection.) Then baking/parchment paper. Place the salmon on top.
Fold the foil sides up a bit to cup them a little so the glaze won’t spill onto the tray. Pour the glaze over (it’s fine that the glaze is still hot);
Top with another sheet of paper and then foil. Seal edges to form a parcel. No need to make it tightly sealed, just mostly sealed is fine;
Bake for 15 minutes covered;
Uncover, then switch oven to broiler/grill. Grill for 10 minutes to get some tasty caramelisation on the edges and a bit on the surface. IMPORTANT: Keep salmon on the middle shelf in the oven when broiling/grilling, don’t move it closer to the heat source – risk of paper burning!

It smells SO GOOD when it’s in the oven…. and here’s what the Baked Salmon looks like when it comes out!

Immediately transfer to serving platter using the paper overhang (otherwise the salmon will keep cooking on the tray), either lifting or sliding it off. And here’s how to remove the foil and paper from under the salmon – just tear and slide!

How to remove foil and paper from under the baked salmon

At this stage, the salmon needs to be left to cool for at least 10 minutes otherwise the Lemon Dill Sauce literally melts straight off. Also this salmon dish is intended to be eaten warm rather than hot, or even at room temperature. This is extra-handy because there’s no need to stress over exact cook times in order to serve it piping hot!

4. Lemon Dill Sauce for salmon

This sour cream-based sauce provides an element of creamy richness to the baked salmon as well as acting as the “glue” for the Holiday “Tapenade” we pile over the top. Not including dill was never an option – it is, after all, best friends with salmon!

Here’s what you need – just mix them together to make the sauce:

Note: we only use the zest in the sour cream sauce because we deliberately want to keep it very thick and “paste-like” so we can slather it on thickly. The rest is used to liberally douse the finished dish for some welcome tang. It’s an essential step!

4. Holiday “Tapenade“

This jumble of goodies (which I call a “Holiday Tapenade”) is a terrific combination for both flavours and textures with the Honey Glazed salmon and Creamy Dill Sauce. The sweet, slightly tart cranberries and the nutty almonds contrast beautifully with the cooling Creamy Dill Sauce and the rich, Honey Glazed flesh of the salmon.

Here’s what you need for the Holiday Tapenade:

Pomegranate – This is what we use to sprinkle across the finished dish for their jewel-like festive colour, and of course for great pops of tart juiciness!
Dried cranberries – In the spirit of holidays and also for the tart/sweet profile rather than just plain sweetness that other dried fruits have. Alternatives (in order of suggestion): Dried sour cherries, golden raisins, normal raisins or sultanas;
Orange juice – This is used to soak the cranberries in order to reconstitute them and plump them up. Otherwise, they’re rather shrivelled and chewy. Because this is, after all, for a special occasion why not one more step to make the cranberries extra special! As mentioned, it’s mainly for the cranberries, but the orange juice also adds a touch of extra sweetness and citrusy flavour – very on-theme for holidays! Substitute with any fruit juice you wish. Apple would especially be great – otherwise just use water with a dollop of honey or maple syrup;
Slivered almonds – Purchased already cut into slivers (else sliver blanched almonds yourself), this is a lovely shape that you can use as-is. We also give them a quick toasting to boost the nuttiness and bronze them. Alternatives: Almonds (preferably blanched), pistachios, hazelnuts, pecans, macadamias, walnuts;
Parsley for freshness and the green colour for Christmas!
Olive oil to add just a bit of richness and bring it all together.

Make ahead option: Make the Tapenade up to 2 days ahead but leave the almonds out until just before serving. Almonds can be toasted ahead, just store them in the pantry until required.

5. Assembling

And here’s how the Christmas Baked Salmon is assembled:

Smother the salmon generously with the Creamy Dill Sauce. Generous is the operative word here! It’s the main sauce for this dish, and it’s also the “glue” for the Tapenade;
Sprinkle the Tapenade across the surface. Really pile it on, use it all!;
Then sprinkle over the pomegranate next, and finally the lemon juice (the Tapenade will catch it); and
Voila! Presentation! Applause! Compliments! Bows!

How to serve this Christmas Baked Salmon

Present the salmon whole on a platter, like pictured above, so everyone can admire how pretty it looks.

Then you can either cut it into portions – literally just use a knife to cut it – or let everyone help themselves. I find it easiest to use a cake server for actually lifting slices to serve easily, so you might like to also provide something like this if you’re allowing guests to serve themselves.

I feel like this has been a really long post for something that I stated is a really easy recipe. And I still promise it is!

It’s just that a side of salmon is not cheap, and is the sort of thing we splurge on for special occasions. So I want to arm you with enough information and details to ensure you feel the confidence of knowing that you will nail this dish – even if you’re not that experienced in the kitchen.

Hand on heart, there is very little that can go wrong with this recipe. The only real pitfall will be if you overcook the salmon. However salmon is a forgiving meat because it’s an oily fish, so it’s really not the end of the world even if you do take it too far. But if you really want to be sure you’ve got it right, you can always use a meat thermometer (see recipe notes for internal temperatures).

I hope by now I’ve convinced you to put this on your Christmas menu as the (or a) centrepiece! It looks like Christmas, it tastes like Christmas and the fact that it’s so straightforward will remain our little secret….. 😉 – Nagi x

Watch how to make it

This recipe features in my debut cookbook Dinner. The book is mostly new recipes, but this is a reader favourite included by popular demand!

Christmas Baked Salmon

Recipe video above. Have you ever seen a Baked Salmon that looks so festive? What's more, it's DEAD EASY! Featuring a honey butter-glazed side of salmon baked in foil, slathered with creamy dill sauce and finally topped with a glittering Holiday "Tapenade", this Salmon Tarator inspired dish pays extremely high dividends for very little work.

See notes for alternatives for many of the ingredients – even the salmon!

Course Christmas, Main Course

Cuisine Western

Keyword baked salmon, Christmas main, seafood main

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Cranberry Plumping Time & Salmon Cooling! 30 minutes

Servings

Calories 492cal

Author Nagi

Ingredients

Salmon:

1.2 – 1.5 kg / 2.4 – 3lb salmon side (skin on, bones removed, Note 1)
2 1/4 tsp salt , cooking/kosher (Note 2)
1 tsp black pepper

Honey Butter Glaze:

150g / 5oz butter , unsalted
1/2 cup honey
3 garlic cloves , finely minced (garlic press or knife)

Creamy Dill Sauce:

1 1/2 cups sour cream , full fat (low fat is too watery)
1/2 cup fresh dill , finely chopped (lightly packed cup)
1/2 eschallot (French onion) , finely grated
1 1/2 tbsp lemon zest
1/2 tsp salt , cooking/kosher (Note 2)

Holiday "Tapenade":

1 cup dried cranberries
1 cup orange juice
1 cup slivered almonds , toasted (Note 3)
1/3 cup parsley , roughly chopped
1/4 tsp each salt and pepper
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Finishing:

1 pomegranate , only the seeds
1/4 cup parsley , roughly chopped
3 tbsp lemon juice
2 lemons, extra , cut in 6 pieces each (for serving, don't skip this)

Cups – Metric

Instructions

Creamy Dill Sauce

Mix ingredients in a bowl until smooth. Keep refrigerated until required.

Holiday Tapenade

Plump cranberries: Heat orange juice in a saucepan over high heat until hot. Turn stove off, add cranberries, cover. Stand 15 minutes, then drain in a colander (discard liquid). Cool.
Mix: Mix cranberries, toasted almonds (see Note 3), parsley, salt and olive oil in bowl. Use at room temp.

Cooking salmon

Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F (all oven types).
Prepare salmon: Place a large sheet of foil on a tray (double layer for safety is recommended), then top with baking/parchment paper. Place salmon on paper, then fold up the foil sides a bit to cup them so glaze won't run onto tray.
Glaze: Place ingredients in a saucepan over medium high heat. Once it started foaming, turn down to medium, let it foam for 2 minutes then remove and pour straight over the salmon.
Season: Sprinkle salmon with salt and pepper, putting most of the salt on the thicker part of the salmon.
Wrap: Cover salmon with a smaller piece of paper, then foil. Fold and seal up sides to enclose salmon in a parcel – it doesn't need to be 100% tightly sealed.
Bake 15 minutes. Remove salmon from oven.
Uncover / fold excess paper – Remove paper and foil and paper cover. Fold/scrunch paper and foil sides down to expose salmon surface. Tucking paper down also ensures it won't catch fire when broiling.
Grill/broil to brown: Switch oven to grill/broiler on high. Place salmon on middle shelf in the oven and broil 7 to 10 minutes until you get caramelisation mostly on the edges, a bit on top. Don't put it too close to the heat element otherwise paper might catch on fire! Check to ensure salmon is cooked – either pry open in middle to check or use a probe to check internal temperatures (Note 4).
Transfer to plate: Use foil overhang to transfer salmon onto serving platter straight away (otherwise it keeps cooking). Slide the foil then paper out from under the salmon (see video at 1 min 24s or step photos in post), allowing juices to pool on platter (it's gold stuff!).
Cool: Loosely cover with foil, then leave to cool for at least 15 minutes, up to 1 hour or longer (for room temp serving – Note 6 for serving notes).

Assembly and serving

Dollop then thickly spread with Creamy Dill Sauce (~0.8cm / 1/3" thick layer).
Pile over Holiday Tapenade, scatter generously with pomegranate seeds, and then remaining parsley. Squeeze over lemon juice.
Serving: Serve with extra lemon wedges so people can add more to taste. Cut into pieces – I use a cake cutter for serving. Encourage people to slop up some of the honey-butter sauce that will be mixed with semi melted Creamy Dill Sauce – it's so good! This dish is best served slightly warm, not piping hot, also excellent at room temp.

Notes

1. Salmon – Get a whole side of salmon in one piece. It should come with skin on (holds together better for moving once cooked) and bones removed (nobody wants pokey bones with a mouthful of Christmas Salmon!). Place salmon on diagonal of tray if it’s too large. A bit of overhang will be fine (on the thinner end). See Note 5 for fillets and trout alternatives.

2. Salt – Cooking/kosher salt is the standard for all my recipes. The grains are larger than fine table salt so it’s easier to pinch and sprinkle. If you only have table salt, you MUST reduce the salt quantities by 25% otherwise your food may be too salty (because table salt is so fine, 1 tsp table salt =~ 1 1/4 tsp cooking/kosher salt).

Cooking/kosher salt is sold labelled as such at the grocery stores – here’s a photo of cooking salt and here’s a photo of Diamond Crystal kosher salt, a leading brand used in the US(not easily found in Australia).

3. Toasting almonds – Preheat skillet over medium heat (no oil). Add nuts then stir for 2 minutes or until they smell amazing and are lightly browned. Keep them moving as they burn easily! Transfer to bowl straight away to cool.

4. Cooked salmon – you can just pry open flesh in middle to check. Otherwise, internal temperature of cooked salmon is 43°C / 110°F for rare, 49°C / 120°F for medium-rare, or 54°C/130°F for medium. Grill cooks fast so just leave in for longer if you want it cooked more, move down to lower shelf to reduce browning.

No grill/broiler? Just crank the oven up as high as it will go and put salmon in uncovered to brown and finish cooking.

5. Alternatives for ingredients (in order of recommendation where multiple given):

Salmon – Trout is an ideal direct sub (though typically smaller, so scale recipe down or use multiple);
Salmon fillets rather than whole side – bake in foil 10 minutes, then grill/broil 10 minutes). Would also be VERY pretty in individual portions so it looks like this.
Smaller salmon side – eg the middle or just the tail end. For anything around 600g / 1.2lb and larger, follow recipe as written in terms of cook times but scale quantities down by clicking Servings and sliding down until you hit the target salmon weight.
Butter – Best is ghee or clarified butter (store bought or homemade) for dairy free alternatives, followed by margarine.
Honey – Maple syrup, but simmer for an extra 1 minute to reduce a bit further
Sour Cream – The only suitable sub is spreadable (tub) cream cheese but that’s a bit thick so would need to be thinned with a touch of olive oil to make it in a soft spreadable paste as pictured in the video. If you use block cream cheese, you’d need even more oil for thinning. Yogurt is too watery.
Dill – Classic herb for salmon, but can sub with chives or finely chopped green onions.
Almonds (all should be roasted, unsalted) – Whole (preferably blanched) almonds roughly chopped yourself, pistachios, walnuts, pecans, hazelnuts, macadamias.
Nut allergy subs – Pepitas or sunflower seeds
Dried cranberries – Craisins, dried sour cherries (roughly chopped), golden raisins*, normal raisins* or sultanas*, any other dried fruit like apricots* chopped (items marked with * add 2 tbsp lemon juice into hot water for plumping, will add touch of tartness like cranberries have)
Orange juice – Apple juice, any other non-thick fruit juice, water + 2 tbsp honey
Parsley – Chives or green onions
Pomegranate – These add colour and juicy little pops to the dish. No fruit provides anything quite similar in terms of colour but for flavour, best is to use red (seedless) grapes. Cut into 1/6 or 1/8, about 3/4 cup. Cherries also work!
Dairy free version – give it a Middle Eastern spin by using hummus instead of sour cream (just be sure it’s a nice thick consistency you can slather on), and instead of parsley use fresh coriander/cilantro instead (roughly chopped) and increase to 1/2 cup. It’s really, really good, I made it with fillets. It’s a Christmasy version of Salmon Tarator, a traditional Middle Eastern dish from which this recipe was inspired.

6. Serving – Dish is best served warm or at room temp, not piping hot. If at room temp, make sure it is still warm enough so honey-butter-salmon juices are liquid not firmed up (if solidified, melt 10 sec in microwave or 2 min in very low 50°C/120°F oven is enough, can do this on serving platter).

Do not spread piping hot salmon with sour cream, it melts and slides off.

Skin is needed for easy handling of salmon while cooking but it’s not pleasant to eat because it’s not crisp in this recipe. People can either just avoid eating, or you can portion it without skin (it’s easy to slide cake serve between flesh and skin)

Be sure to serve with extra lemon wedges, this is a dish that loves fresh lemon!

7. Make ahead – Excellent for preparing most ahead with simple assembly on day.

Tapenade – 24 hrs in advance (fridge) but keep toasted almonds in pantry and stir in before serving (few hours ahead is fine), ensure it is at room temp when using.
Creamy Dill Sauce and Honey Glaze – 24 hours ahead, fridge (glaze will need to be reheated to make pourable).
Pomegranates – bash out the seeds the day before! See in post for how;
Salmon – better baked fresh on the day but it is still stellar cooked the day before (based on all leftovers I have been inhaling!). But honestly, reheating cooked salmon is just as much effort as baking fresh, in my opinion!

8. Storage – Leftovers will keep for 3 – 4 days in the fridge. Allow to come naturally to room temperature. Do not microwave or oven reheat, the sour cream will melt.

9. Nutrition per serving, assuming 12 servings 1.5kg/3lb salmon. With all the toppings, this is almost a main course size serving. So if it’s part of a banquet with other mains, this will easily stretch to 16 – 20 people.

Nutrition

First published in December 2020. Brought back to the front of the website in December 2021, just to remind you that it’s here, the perfect centrepiece for your Christmas!

Life of Dozer

He can tell just by looking at it that the Christmas Baked Salmon is super duper delish!!! (Funnily enough, he seems to determine that about everything he looks at…🤔🤔🤔)

The post Christmas Baked Salmon: Easy & Make-ahead appeared first on RecipeTin Eats.

Chipotle Salmon Tacos

Nagi — Mon, 30 Aug 2021 00:37:00 +0000

Not authentic but these work so well they still rate as one of the best tacos I’ve invented in recent years! The salmon is smoky and a touch spicy, while the lime slaw and Mango Avocado Salsa bring zesty freshness to these handheld beauties.

This is a cookbook exclusive recipe!

This recipe is exclusive to my debut cookbook Dinner which includes a how-to video for every recipe. Just scan the QR code!

Just to explain….

I know, it’s confusing! You’re so used to getting recipes on my website – there’s over 1,200 of them, after all. And here you are looking at a tasty recipe video and I haven’t provided the recipe. 🙀

I’m not just doing this to torture you, I promise.

This page exists to display the how-to video for this recipe which I exclusively created for my debut cookbook, Dinner. Every recipe in the cookbook has a tutorial video. To watch it, you simply scan the QR code with your phone or tablet and it will take you straight to the recipe video like the one shown above!

Curious about my cookbook?

Read the cookbook overview
Browse all cookbook exclusive recipes here
Read the Cookbook Tales. Spoiler alert: there’s A LOT of dirty dishes!! And quite a lot of Dozer. 😂

Stay tuned for more on this page! Some cookbook exclusive recipes will have extra information added as well as extra tips. I am also looking at enabling comments for selected recipes so I can answer reader questions about cookbook recipes. I’m just a little snowed under during this launch period – book tours, getting 131 recipe videos out, launching the book overseas. Please bear with me! – Nagi x (10 October 2022)

Just to explain….

I’m not just doing this to torture you, I promise.

Curious about my cookbook?

Read the cookbook overview
Browse all cookbook exclusive recipes here
Read the Cookbook Tales. Spoiler alert: there’s A LOT of dirty dishes!! And quite a lot of Dozer. 😂

The post Chipotle Salmon Tacos appeared first on RecipeTin Eats.

Pan-Seared Salmon

Nagi — Sun, 23 May 2021 07:02:00 +0000

This recipe is intended for skinless salmon, but feel free to keep the skin on. I cook my salmon so it’s just-set, for the ideal juiciness and melting texture.

Find the recipe on page 141 of Dinner.

This is a cookbook exclusive recipe!

This recipe is exclusive to my debut cookbook Dinner which includes a how-to video for every recipe. Just scan the QR code!

Just to explain….

I’m not just doing this to torture you, I promise.

Curious about my cookbook?

Read the cookbook overview
Browse all cookbook exclusive recipes here
Read the Cookbook Tales. Spoiler alert: there’s A LOT of dirty dishes!! And quite a lot of Dozer. 😂

The post Pan-Seared Salmon appeared first on RecipeTin Eats.

Beetroot Cured Salmon (Gin or Vodka)

Nagi — Wed, 31 Mar 2021 04:00:00 +0000

Looking for a stunning new way to serve salmon for an occasion? Beetroot Cured Salmon, gently flavoured with spices and a little vodka or gin, is a sophisticated gourmet delight that’s incredibly easy to make at a fraction of the cost of store bought salmon gravlax!

This dish is a modern classic ideal for serving as canapés or an elegant starter, or just having around in the fridge so you can shave slices off to nibble. Lasts for days and days!

Too many cured salmon recipes are way too salty or way too sweet! But once you know the right proportions, it’s ridiculously simple to make and far cheaper than buying from gourmet stores.

Beetroot-cured Salmon

Are you ready to impress the pants off your family and friends?? Deceptively easy, looks stunning and outrageously delicious to eat: Beetroot Cured Salmon!

What is Cured Salmon? And why cure at home??

Curing is an age-old means of preserving fish with salt. It also happens to transform the flavours and texture of the fish in delicious ways as the salt (as well as sometimes sugar) does its work.

Like other preservation methods such as drying, smoking, pickling and so on, we have less of a need to cure for preservation purposes today. However we still apply these methods to food to appreciate their delicious eating qualities!

Using beetroot in the curing process is an additional step you can do when curing fish that imparts a stunning maroon colour to the flesh surface and a subtle beetroot flavour! When sliced, the vivid contrast of colours between the beetroot-red and the orange salmon flesh is guaranteed to get everyone ooh-ing and ahh-ing!

Two flavour options: Gin or Vodka

But why stop at the beetroot colouring? Curing is also a great vehicle for injecting even more flavours into the flesh. So today I’m offering two variations of the beetroot cure using alcohol and spice flavourings for an additional touch (which I believe in fact is fairly traditional in Scandinavia – feel free to comment below if you know!):

Gin, juniper and coriander seed ; or
Vodka, caraway and coriander seed.

Not only is home-cured salmon child’s play once you know the right proportion of salt, sugar and flavourings, but it’s also far cheaper than buying equivalent shop-bought versions. I don’t know about where you live, but here in Sydney, tiny packets of similar cured-and-flavoured salmon are marketed as gourmet and sold for eye-watering prices.

What does it mean to salt-cure salmon?

Curing refers to a method of preserving salmon using salt and sugar to draw moisture out of the salmon and salt the flesh. This old technique originates in the Nordic countries and northern parts of Europe, where salmon in the rivers and oceans is plentiful but preserving foods was historically also an essential way of life.

Curing extends the shelf life of raw salmon by depriving bacteria and other microorganisms of a cosy environment in which they can live and multiply easily. The process also alters the texture of the flesh, causing it to become firmer much like other cured meats (ham, salami etc).

Curing furthermore provides the opportunity to add flavour into the salmon. Classic flavourings include fresh dill (for Salmon Gravlax), and gin or vodka plus spices which is what I am sharing in today’s recipe.

“So is cured salmon raw?” Short answer: Yes. While the fish is technically raw (since it’s not cooked by heat), the fish is perfectly safe to eat, since the salt kills bacteria etc and inhibits their growth. Prosciutto, salami, and cold-smoked salmon are all examples of delicious foods that are cured but uncooked!

Ingredients for Cured Salmon

To make Beetroot-cured Salmon, you need: fresh salmon, sugar and salt (for curing), beetroot (for staining) and flavourings (gin or vodka + spices):

Fresh salmon – Ideally, sashimi-grade salmon is best. However it doesn’t need to be sashimi-grade (ie. fresh enough to eat uncured), because we’re going to cure it with enough salt to make sure it’s safe to eat. It does though still need to be very fresh! Check with your fish monger to ensure the fish is fresh enough to cure. But most importantly, check it yourself. If the salmon smells like the ocean and not “fishy”, and is firm to the touch it’s fresh enough. If it smells and looks funky, and the flesh is slimy, give it a miss….
Trimming salmon – The piece of salmon pictured above is neatly trimmed so it’s a nice even rectangle shape, courtesy of the fish shop. If you get a whole side of salmon that is not trimmed, the tail end of the salmon is thinner, the belly is thinner and the head part will be cut on an angle. For the most even curing and best presentation, it is best to trim the salmon so it’s an even thickness and shape, like pictured below. You will need to start with a 1.5kg / 3 lb whole side of salmon:

Sugar and salt – These are the essential ingredients that cure the salmon. Both draw liquid out of the fish to preserve it. Why sugar too? Because the amount of salt required to cure salmon properly makes it way too salty. So sugar is an excellent way to share the curing work, while also balancing the flavours so it’s not just salt. Sugar doesn’t make the salmon sweet-tasting at all. Most smoked salmon, for example, uses sugar as well as salt.;
Beetroot (aka beet) – This is what stains the outside of the salmon maroon, making for the striking appearance. It is mostly for aesthetics, any beetroot flavour is extremely subtle; and
Gin OR vodka plus spices (juniper or caraway, coriander and peppercorns) – These two spirits hailing from cold-weather countries famous for curing fish naturally work well here! I couldn’t decide between the two so I decided to provide both so you can choose. It really comes down to flavour preference – or drink preference! 😉 If you’re unsure, I’d opt for gin. The flavour is milder, smoother and a little more interesting. Also, you can get away with a more economical liquor (cheap vodka is pretty harsh!).
The alcohol is totally optional however, and does not affect the cure if you leave it out. It’s still absolutely delicious without! See recipes notes for details.

What you need for Gin-cured Salmon

Gin – If you’re happy to drink it, it’s good for curing, that’s my rule! Hendrick’s brand is a firm favourite in my house. Tanqueray is also a frequent lurker in my liquor cupboard. But less premium brands absolutely work just as well. The gin flavour is not in-your-face, and people who are not a fan of gin for drinking will still love this cured salmon because the other flavours in it (the salmon and spices) are also prominent;
Juniper and coriander – Classic spices that go with gin-cured fish that echo the key flavours of gin itself; and
Black peppercorn – Because pepper belongs in everything!

What you need for Vodka-cured Salmon

Vodka – As with gin, use your drinking vodka of choice. I find that I can taste the vodka slightly more than gin, simply because vodka has a slightly harsher edge to it. But again, as with the gin-cured version, I guarantee people who don’t actually enjoy drinking vodka will still devour the salmon because it’s a background rather than dominant flavour!;
Caraway and coriander seeds – Excellent complementary spices that go with vodka for the cured fish; and
White peppercorns.

The alcohol can be omitted!

For those of you wary about the use of alcohol in this cured salmon gravlax, note the following:

There’s only 80ml / 5 1/2 tbsp across 1 kg / 2 lb of salmon;
You can’t really taste it very much because of the other flavours are so prominent; and
You can actually skip the alcohol entirely!

How to make Beetroot-cured Salmon

I think you’re going to be amazed how easy this is! It really is mostly just about curing time, which involves nothing more than leaving it in your fridge.

How long it takes to cure salmon: 48 hours for the actual curing, plus a recommended extra 12 – 48 hours resting time to allow the salt to redistribute more evenly throughout the salmon.

Beetroot cure – Place the beetroot, sugar, salt plus the gin or vodka-flavouring ingredients in a food processor;
Blitz until quite smooth, like a smoothie. It should not be totally liquified, but you still want the beetroot to be blitzed until very fine;

Line container – Select a container that fits the salmon snugly, and ideally has a lid. If the container is too large, the beetroot mixture will spread too thinly and this might compromise how intensely the red colour stains the salmon and how well the curing mixture goes to work on the salmon.
(If you only have a large container, use scrunched up strips of foil under the cling wrap along the edges of the container to contain the surface area onto which the beetroot mixture spreads.)
Line the container with two big sheets of cling wrap, overlapping and perpendicular like a cross. Make sure the cling wrap sheets are large enough to fully enclose the salmon once wrapped. Then spread the beetroot mixture onto the cling wrap inside the container;
Place salmon on top of the beetroot mixture, flesh side down. Press down lightly to ensure the flesh is fully in contact with the beetroot mixture. Do not press down too hard however, to ensure you don’t force the beetroot mixture from underneath the salmon – otherwise it won’t stain red as evenly;

Cure 48 hours – Wrap salmon with the cling wrap, place lid on if you have one (else wrap tightly with more cling wrap) and refrigerate for 48 hours. There is no need to turn the salmon, as the beetroot will work its way over all the surfaces of the flesh. I told you, this is entirely hands off!!
This is the curing process. The salt and sugar will draw moisture out of the salmon, in turn preserving fish and extending its shelf life. The flesh of the salmon will be thus drier and firmer than it is when raw;
Unwrap the salmon. There will be more liquid than you started with. This is due to the aforementioned moisture drawn out of the salmon during the curing process;

Rinse the salmon under the tap to get rid of excess salt and beetroot mix;
Rest 12 – 24 hours (recommended) – Pat the salmon dry. If time permits, place the salmon in a clean container and leave it overnight in the fridge for at least 12 and preferably 24 hours. This allows the opportunity for what salt is now in the salmon to redistribute more evenly throughout the meat. If you serve the salmon straight after removing it from the cure, you will find that the surface is saltier than the middle.
While this step is recommended, it’s not essential! It’s still wonderful eaten straight away. Since we serve it sliced thinly and usually draped on to bread with garnishes, most people don’t even notice that it’s saltier on the outside. It’s just for perfectionists like me who want to achieve the best result, given the time! 😂

And now for the best part: presenting the salmon! And of course basking in all those praises you are about to be lavished with!! 😉

How to serve Beetroot-cured Salmon

The whole point (ok, MOST of the point!) of using a beetroot cure for the salmon is so it looks STUNNING when it’s presented.

So, let’s talk about serving it up, and all the bells and whistles we are going to add to make this a stunning platter to impress the pants off your family and friends!

Horseradish cream sauce – For serving. Horseradish is a classic accompaniment for cured salmon. Spiky, fresh and creamy, this sauce is made with fresh horseradish. Unfortunately it can be irritatingly hard to find here in Australia. So don’t fret if you can’t source fresh horseradish. You can just serve plain sour cream instead. (I’d recommend plain sour cream over trying to use jarred horseradish to make the sauce, as the stuff is weirdly sour and lacks the punch of fresh horseradish – it’s not worth it);
Crisp toasted bread – I like to use a rye bread which is another classic combination with cured salmon. Cut them small into bite size pieces;
Crispy fried capers – You could use just plain capers, straight out of the jar. But why not fry them up in a little oil for a some texture??
Cucumber ribbons, lightly pickled – You won’t see these in the video because I ran out of cucumber, but you do see them in the photos! Use a potato peeler to make long ribbons, then toss in a simple dressing of salt and cider vinegar to make a quick pickled cucumber. The freshness of the cucumber combined with the zing from vinegar goes really well with the rich oily salmon flesh;
Fresh dill sprigs – Of course you saw this coming! What is salmon without some dill?
Lemon slices – For another splash of colour and squeezing over your salmon to taste.

Pile it all up on a platter, and here is what you get:

You think that looks good? Just wait until you taste it!!! – Nagi x

Watch how to make it

Beetroot Cured Salmon (Gin or Vodka, Gravlax)

Recipe video above. Too many cured salmon recipes are way too salty ot way too sweet! But once you know the right propotions, it's ridiculously simple to make and far cheaper than buying equivalent shop-bought versions.

Gently flavoured with spices and a little vodka or gin, this a show-stopping, sophisticated-looking modern classic. Wonderful elegant canape or individually plated starter (fine dining favourite!), as part of an antipasto platter or cheeseboard, or just generally having in the fridge to nibble or use in sandwiches!

1kg / 2 lb salmon will easily serve 16 people as a starter (slices are cut thinly)

Course Starter

Cuisine Nordic

Keyword Beetroot cured salmon, Cured salmon, Gin cured salmon, Preserved salmon, Salmon Gravlax, Voda cured salmon

Prep Time 10 minutes

Curing time (+ optional 24 hours resting) 2 days

Servings – 16 people

Calories 136cal

Author Nagi

Ingredients

Cured Salmon – Base:

1kg/ 2 lb single piece of fresh salmon , skin on (even thickness, already trimmed like this, or 1.5kg/3lb untrimmed, Note 1)
400g/ 14 oz beetroot/beet (raw), peeled and diced in 1cm / 0.5" cubes (500g/1 lb weight pre-peeling)
1 cup salt , cooking/kosher salt (NOT iodised and NOT table salt, Note 2)
2/3 cup white sugar

Vodka cure flavourings (Option 1):

4 tsp caraway seeds , whole
4 tsp white peppercorn , whole
4 tsp coriander seeds , whole
5 1/2 tbsp vodka (OK to omit, Note 5)

Gin Cure Flavourings (Option 2):

4 tsp black peppercorns , whole
4 tsp juniper berries , whole
4 tsp coriander seeds , whole
5 1/2 tbsp gin (OK to omit, Note 5)

Horseradish cream (for serving, Note 6 options):

1 cup sour cream
3 tbsp horseradish (fresh), finely grated (Note 6)
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp lemon zest
1 tsp chopped dill

Cucumber Ribbons, lightly pickled

2 cucumbers (Lebanese not the long English/Telegraph ones)
2 tbsp red or white wine vinegar
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp dill , roughly chopped

For serving:

Dark rye bread , thinly sliced 3mm / ⅛ " (or crackers or other thinly sliced bread)
1/3 cup capers (some for garnish, some for assembling bites)
1/4 cup oil (vegetable, canola)
Fresh dill sprigs and lemon wedges or slices

Cups – Metric

Instructions

Make beetroot cure: Place the beetroot, sugar, salt plus the gin cure OR vodka cure ingredients in a food processor. Blitz until pureed like a smoothie – about 15 seconds on high, scraping down the sides as needed.
Line container: Use a container into which the salmon fits snugly, but flat (Note 3). Line with two large pieces of cling wrap, overlapping one horizontally and one vertically, like a cross (so it will wrap salmon completely).
Place salmon in beetroot: Spread beetroot mixture on the cling wrap inside the container. Lay salmon on top, flesh side down. Press down lightly but not too firm – flesh should be fully in contact with beetroot, not base of container.
48-hour cure: Wrap up securely with the cling wrap, cover with lid (or seal container with more cling wrap). Refrigerate 48 hours (do not turn).
Rinse: Unwrap salmon, rinse off beetroot mixture, then pat dry.
Recommended – rest overnight: If time permits, place washed and dried salmon in an airtight container and refrigerate overnight. This allows the salt to redistribute more evenly throughout the salmon. (Note 4)

Serving:

Horseradish cream: Mix ingredients together until smooth.
Cucumber Ribbons: Use a potato peeler to make long thing ribbons lengthwise down the cucumber. Toss with vinegar and salt, set aside for 10 minutes. Drain liquid, toss with dill, transfer to serving dish.
Fried crispy capers: Heat oil in a small pan to 190°C/375°F. Fry capers for 30 sec/1 min until crisp. Drain on paper towels and cool.
Crispy bread: Brush bread lightly on each side with olive oil, then bake in a 180°C/350°F oven for 8 minutes, turning halfway, until crisp.
Plating: Place uncut salmon on a serving platter (one you can cut on). Scatter salmon with crispy capers and fresh dill. Place crispy bread and horseradish cream on the side, along with fresh lemon if using.
To serve: Cut thin slices down to the skin (but not through it). Pivot the knife blade so it's almost parallel to the skin and cut the each slice carefully away from the skin (you cannot eat the skin). Smear crispy bread with horseradish cream, top with salmon, a few capers, and sprig of fresh dill. Devour!

Notes

1. Salmon – Make sure it is very fresh salmon. Sashimi-grade is ideal, but it doesn’t have to be because this is cured. But it needs to be very fresh – ask your fish monger to ensure it’s fresh enough for curing (tell him you are making gravlax). Most importantly, smell the salmon – it should smell like the ocean and not “fishy” at all. You will know if it’s not fresh enough, it will smell funky!

Skin-on is best for ease of slicing thinly, as it holds the salmon together. Make sure the salmon is pin-boned – your fish monger should have done this for you, but check yourself by running your fingers across the surface.

Trimmed, even piece: Look for a salmon piece with the most uniform thickness possible. This will ensure the most even cure and flavour. The best section to use from a whole side of salmon for this purpose is around the middle of the fillet (buy it, or trim yourself, below).

What I do: I get a whole side of salmon 1.5kg / 3lb, then I trim it myself:

Making a smaller quantity of salmon: You can make this with smaller portions of salmon. I would not use anything less than around a 250g/8oz fillet, however. Use the recipe scaler to adjust quantities, but then manually recalculate the salt, sugar and cure flavouring quantities to increase everything by 50%. This is to ensure there is enough cure mix to properly cover your salmon.

2. Salt – You must use cooking or kosher salt, not table salt (the grains too fine, it makes salmon inedibly salty). Also, do NOT use iodised salt. The packet will say if it IS iodised. Iodised salt can make the salmon brown.

3. Container – The perfect container size should fit the salmon in snugly but allows it to lie completely flat in the beetroot mixture without excessively contacting the base of the container (which will result in less red colour on flesh). If your container is too large, use scrunched up ropes of paper or foil under the cling wrap along the sides of the container to enable this to happen.

4. Resting overnight for better result – When the salt mixture is initially removed from the salmon, the surface of the salmon (ends, top, sides) is saltier than the very middle. If you leave the washed and dried salmon overnight, the salt redistributes more evenly throughout the salmon flesh and also improves the texture of the salmon (becomes a bit more set, and is easier to thinly slice).

5. Alcohol – Cured salmon gently flavoured with alcohol is a modern classic. It imparts a subtle taste of gin or vodka, gentle enough that even those who dislike these liquors can still enjoy it. However the alcohol is totally optional, and omission will not affect the cure! So if you have kids or cannot drink alcohol, replace alcohol with water (so our our cure blends easily and stays nicely runny).

6. Other sauce options: Fresh horseradish is irritatingly hard to find in Sydney. I get it from the Sydney Fish Markets and sometimes at the local markets. If you can’t get it, don’t fall back to jarred horseradish. Rather, make a sauce using creme fraiche (sour cream is a back up) mixed with some lemon zest and fresh chopped dill. Another option: Dijon Mustard (a good one).

7. Storage: Salmon keeps for 4 to 5 days after removal of salt (so factor in extra overnight resting if you do that). You can always tell by smelling when fish is past its shelf life – if it smells funky, it’s no good! If fish was not previously frozen, it can also be frozen for up to 3 months.

8. Nutrition – Calculated only for salmon cured in vodka. Condiments, accompaniments etc are not included.

Nutrition

Life of Dozer

No cured salmon for you, Dozer. You are not of legal age for alcohol consumption – you’re only 8!!

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