Marinated Salmon

It’s time again! A few days before Christmas, it’s the turn of the salmon. I marinate a salmon side quite classically and then eat from it until the new year.

• 1 salmon side, bought whole with skin (approx. 1 kg)
• 3 bunches of dill
• 4 tablespoons coarse salt
• 5 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 tbsp. peppercorns
• 1 tsp. pimento seeds
• 1 tsp. mustard seeds

The dill is finely chopped. I put one half in a mold, preferably a rectangular mold that fits snugly around the fish. I always use a ceramic lasagna mold. I coarsely mortar the spices. I add 1/3 to the dill in the mold.

Now I cut the salmon side rectangular, cut it in half crosswise and rub the pieces thickly with the sugar-salt mixture. The first piece of salmon now goes into the mold, skin side down. On top goes the remaining sugar-salt-spice mixture and 1/3 of the spices. Next, place the second piece of salmon in the mold, this time with the skin facing up.

The remaining dill and 1/3 spices finish off the stack. Now I place a plastic wrap directly on top of the fish and the package goes into the refrigerator. It needs to chill for 3 days, 1 time a day you should turn it. It simmers a little bit, that is not bad. The salt extracts water from the fish.

After 3 days I pour off the liquid and remove marinade residues and the skin. Then you can eat the salmon. If you like it, you can put a coarser chopped layer of dill on it.

And the leftovers from the trimmings go in a pan with butter for a bit and end up on a piece of whole wheat bread with a few remaining sugar/salt crumbs. Delicious!

marinated salmon, dill, pepper, allspice seeds, mustard seeds