#cured fish

This Cognac Cured Mackerel also is a delicious entrée, the aged spirit giving the flesh of the fish a hint of sweetness. Rather delightful!

Ingredients (makes 1):

1 cup coarse sea salt

1 cup caster sugar 

1/2 tablespoon whole black peppercorns

1/2 teaspoon dried dill

one beautiful mackerels, gutted (about 300 to 350 grams)

3 tablespoons good quality Cognac (like Jules Gautret VS Cognac)

In a large bowl, combine coarse sea salt and caster sugar stirring well to mix. Crush black peppercorns, and add them to the bowl, along with dried dill. Give a good stir. Set aside.

With a sharp knife, cut open mackerel, like a book.

Unwrap a large portion of cling film, without cutting it. Arrange about a third of the black pepper and dill salt and sugar mixture onto it, and sit mackerel, skin-side down firmly onto it.

Drizzle Cognac generously over the mackerel. Top with remaining two thrids of the curing mixture, fold cling film over and wrap tightly. Place in the refrigerator for at least 48 hours.

Remove cure, and wash mackerel under cold water. The flesh should now be harder to the the touch.

How to make Scandinavian-style cured salmon from scratch.

A Special Note:

With COVID-19 slowly closing in on my Northern California area, I’ve been too distracted to write or post these days. But today, with my boys home from school, the reality of this pandemic is truly settling in. Cancelations of life events makes me feel like a giant “pause” button has been pressed on our lives. Consequently, we are now forced to accept and adjust to this unusual…

Day 7 of my 12 Days of Christmas recipes! Salmon Gravlax with beets, dill, juniper berries and vodka is easier to make than you think. Everyone will be impressed with this Scandinavian appetizer. #beets #salmon #gravlax #gravadlax #curing

Salmon Gravlax is a delicious appetizer, with origins in Scandinavia. I love making homemade Gravlax, and serving it on a bagel with cream cheese and thinly sliced red onions. This is my favorite way to eat bagels. Also delicious on dark rye bread. More commonly it’s served as an appetizer. You can cure any oily fish to make Gravlax. However Salmon is most commonly used, a large fillet of trout…

Homemade gravlax is not nearly as hard as it seems and trust me, it's worth the effort.

Gravlax is a huge favorite of both mine and my husband. Honestly, I prefer to eat salmon like this or sashimi-style rather than cooked. The most common question I’ve heard about gravlax is how it is different from smoked salmon?  Being a New Yorker (yes, even after living on the West coast all these years I still consider myself one), it’s important to keep track of your salmon options. Gravlax r…