Lemon-Dill Cured Salmon
We’ve shown you the trick to cooking salmon in 25 minutes. Now we’ve found a way to prepare salmon with practically no effort at all: Cure it. In other words, coat the fillet in a mixture of salt, dill and lemon, wrap it in cheesecloth and let the fish sit for two days in the fridge. When you remove the salty crust, the salmon will be ready to eat. Seriously. Slice the cured salmon and layer it onto bagels with cream cheese, tomatoes and capers or serve it with hummus and sliced veggies.
Ingredients
1½ cups kosher salt
1½ cups granulated sugar
1 bunch dill
3 lemons, zested
1 pound salmon fillet
Cheesecloth
Directions
1. Place a rack on a baking sheet. Cut a large piece of cheesecloth, then fold it once or twice or create a few layers; after it's folded, it should be slightly larger than what you'd need to fully wrap the salmon. Place the folded cheesecloth on the rack.
2. In the bowl of a food processor, process the salt, sugar, dill and lemon zest until fully combined.
3. Sprinkle half the salt mixture onto the cheesecloth, then place the salmon on top. Sprinkle the rest of the salt mixture on top of the salmon, making sure it’s fully covered. Wrap the salmon in the cheesecloth and transfer the baking sheet to the fridge.
4. Let the salmon cure for two days, then brush off the curing mixture and rinse the salmon. The salmon can be served immediately or wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and held for up to a week in the refrigerator.
296 calories
8g fat
40g carbs
12g protein
38g sugars