Fennel Cured Salmon with Horseradish Pickled Green Tomatoes, Goat Cheese and Radish
Cured Salmon
2 pounds of Verlasso salmon, skin on
3 cups of kosher salt
3 cups of brown sugar
¼ cup black peppercorns, crushed
¼ c fennel seeds
6 sprigs of fresh dill, chopped
1 cup vodka
Method:
Mix salt, sugar and spices and put half on a sheet tray. Lay salmon on top of salt blend, skin side down. Cover salmon with remaining salt blend and pour vodka over. This will help start the cure. Place in cooler for 24 hours. On day two, drain off any liquid from pan and turn salmon over for one more day. Distribute the remaining salt blend which may have a wet-sand texture over the salmon evenly.
On day 2, remove salmon from cooler and rinse off. Allow to dry in the cooler uncovered for 6 hours. With a sharp, flat knife, shave off slices of cured salmon, starting from the tail end. Leave the skin on as this will help with shaving the salmon into very small slices.
Horseradish Pickled Green Tomatoes
3 large green tomatoes, sliced
½ cup of apple cider vinegar
½ cup of water
½ cup of sugar
3 Tablespoons of salt
3 Tablespoons of prepared horseradish
1 Tablespoon of mustard seed
1 Tablespoon of black peppercorn
Method:
Place all ingredients into sauce pan except the tomatoes. Heat liquid until slight boil and salt and sugar have dissolved. Turn off heat and add sliced green tomatoes, stir. Allow to sit for 20 minutes until slightly cooled down in the pan and place in jar and into cooler. Reserve for until cool and ready to use. Keep in covered jar in cooler, best after two weeks.
Garnish
1 radish shaved per person
1 boiled egg per person
1 ounce of goat cheese per person
½ of a shallot, shaved per person
Sprigs of parsley leaves
Preparation:
Shave salmon and toss with pickled green tomatoes and garnishes. Serve as an appetizer or composed salad.
Enjoy!
Chef John Brand 