This recipe comes to us from our friend the Sardinfluencer Harrison Weinfield, who has this to say about it:
"Growing up as an Ashkenazi Jew in the U.S., few gatherings were complete without Lox, a diasporic take on cured salmon, but it wasn’t until I was in adulthood that I first tasted the Scandinavian method of curing fish with a similar sounding name. Literally translating to grave salmon – think ‘buried salmon’ – the Gravlax adds in sugar and aromatics alongside the salt to give it extra complexity and a hint of sweetness.
Pureeing the above with beet and gin adds even more color, flavor, and further enhances the curing process. I just love how the black cod’s perfectly white and fatty flesh transforms into a sunset of color, flavor, and mouthfeel.
Use this in the same way you’d use lox or nova, or add to your next sea-cuturie board!"
Ingredients:
· 1 fillet Alaska Gold Seafood Black Cod
· 1 medium beet (peeled and cut into ½ inch cubes)
· 1/8 cup + 1 tbs kosher salt
· ¼ cup white sugar
· 1 tbs fresh fennel frond (plus more for plating)
· 1 tbs high quality gin (I used Hendrick’s)
· 1 tsp whole coriander
· 1 tsp whole black pepper
1. Place the cubed beet, and all the other ingredients (except the fish) in a food processor and pulse until pureed, pushing down the sides as needed.
2. Line an airtight container (large enough to accommodate the whole piece of fish laying flat) with two large pieces of plastic wrap, laying perpendicular to each other, large enough to wrap over fish.
3. Pour in the curing mixture. Gently lay the fish on top, skin side up, making sure the flesh is well submerged but it does not “push through” the curing mixture and come in contact with the bottom of the container. Gently fold the extra plastic wrap over the skin to lightly seal it up.
4. Cover and refrigerate for 48 hours.
5. After 2 days, remove the fish from the mixture, discard the mixture, and rinse the fish off in the sink. Gently pat it dry until no curing mix remains. The fish will be dark purple.
6. Replace the fish in the same container, this time skin side down, and cover once again. Leave in the refrigerator for 24 hours to dry out slightly and let the cure settle.
7. At this point you can slice the fish on an angle, toward the tail, in ¼ cm slices. Make sure you cut it all the way down to the skin, but don’t cut through the skin. A sharp knife really helps.
8. Top with more fennel frond and serve with bagels or toasted rye bread, pickles, cream cheese or labneh, lemon, capers, or any combination therein. Or serve as you would on a cheese board.
Serves 4-6
