Thanks to Roland Passot for this recipe, the French chef at the helm of the exquisite La Folie on Russian Hill in San Francisco, CA. His original “Citrus Cured Salmon” is plated with roasted beets, fried beet and horseradish strings, horseradish cream, and balsamic dressing. Here I’ve simplified his recipe focusing solely on the cured salmon, which is something very satisfying to do at home, if you can get great quality fish (thank you, Montana Fish Co!)
My proportions are in grams, but don’t let that scare you off, the only proportions that really matter are the salt and sugar, use a heaping cup of each and you’ll have more than a sufficient amount of cure.
Citrus Cured Salmon
adapted from Roland Passot
Ingredients
- 1 beautiful salmon fillet, 6–8 inches long, with skin (scales and pin bones removed)
- 200 grams Kosher salt
- 200 grams sugar
- 25 grams juniper berries
- 25 grams black peppercorns
- 25 grams coriander seeds
- 2 limes, zest from
- 1 lemon, zest from
- 50 ml Absolut Citron vodka or gin
Instructions
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Blend the spices in a spice grinder or mortar and pestle until fine, then mix with the salt and sugar. Toss in the lime and lemon zest and mix together—this is your cure.
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Place a piece of parchment paper in an 8- by 12-inch glass or ceramic dish, leaving enough overhang to fold over the salmon, once it gets in there. Sprinkle a handful of the cure on the parchment.
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Score skin side of the salmon with a sharp knife, 5 diagonal cuts, running the length of the filet, about 5mm deep then place the salmon skin side down in the prepared dish.
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Pour the vodka over the fillet and pack the cure around the fillet, making sure to get some along the sides of the fish. Fold over the parchment overhang, cover the dish with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 24–48 hours.
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After curing, rinse the fillet under cold water to remove cure, pat dry with paper towels, and allow to air dry under refrigeration before covering with fresh parchment for storage. At serving time, trim away skin and slice salmon very thinly.
Recipe Notes / Tips
- The spicing is nice but optional. As is the alcohol.
- Fresh dill is nice for a variation, use with or without the citrus zest. Lay sprigs over the fillet, after the alcohol, and before you pack on the brine cure.
- For a more cured end result, apply gentle pressure on the fish while it is curing—use what you have available, a couple pounds of butter, a box of broth, a plate.
