Linda Gardner's Blog: Apple-Cured Salmon

Apple-Cured Salmon

Do you want to try some more great LCHF recipes? We’re going to share a number of them from Swedish chef Birgitta Höglund’s cookbooks, recently released in the US. Birgitta also runs a popular low-carb/paleo recipe blog with more delicious and nutritious recipes.

First out is how to cure salmon using apples instead of sugar from Birgitta’s cookbook Low Carb High Fat and Paleo Slow Cooking.

Apple-Cured Salmon

Swedish cured salmon traditionally contains a lot of sugar. Here, I have cured the salmon using the sweetness of apples instead, which is in fine harmony with the salty flavor. Always cure salmon that has been frozen for at least 3 days — this ensures that the fish is entirely safe to eat, even though it is raw.

Ingredients, 4 servings

1¼ lbs (500 g) salmon fillet, middle section, preferably wild caught
3 tablespoons salt
1 tablespoon white peppercorns, coarsely crushed
2 red apples
1 bunch dill
2–3 tablespoons Calvados (apple brandy), optional

Instructions

Using tongs or tweezers, remove the rib bones along the thick back section on the salmon. Mix the salt and white pepper. Grate the apples coarsely, and chop the dill in smaller pieces, both sprigs and leaves.

Mix the apples and dill, and place half on the bottom of a dish with rim at least an inch tall around it.

Rub half of the salt mix into the skin side of the salmon, and set it on top of the dill mixture. Rub the flesh with the rest of the salt, and spread the apple and dill over it evenly. If you want your salmon to have a more intense apple taste, add in some Calvados.

Cover the salmon with plastic wrap. Place a cutting board over it and set a weight on top — a large mortar or a jar of pickles, for example. Leave the salmon to cure for two days in the refrigerator, turning it a few times while it cures.

Once the salmon is ready, scrape off all the dill and apple. Slice the salmon on the bias (at about a 45-degree angle vertically) into thin slices with a sharp thin knife. Serve it with a dollop of homemade mayonnaise mixed with Dijon mustard and finely chopped dill.