Beetroot cured salmon….for such a long time I have wanted to make this. I don’t know why it has taken so many years for me to get around to it, because it’s so simple. I like the idea of curing my own salmon and the dark pink hue of the beetroot looks so beautiful against the coral salmon. Make sure your salmon is fresh. I’m a bit paranoid so I went to the fish markets.
Now the bagels, on the other hand, are part of my monthly Gourmet Traveller Challenge. Never had I made them before but I was so pleased with the results, I went off to work singing (now that’s a first!).
Beetroot-Cured Salmon
300g fresh thick salmon fillet
50g brown sugar
50g sea salt
5-6 black peppercorn seeds, crushed
1 small beetroot, grated
1 small bunch dill
Mix the sugar, salt, crushed peppercorns, beetroot and half the dill finely chopped. Lay the salmon, skin side down, in a non reactive tray (use ceramic, glass or plastic). Make sure all the bones are removed, pack the salmon with the curing mix. Cover with cling film and sit anther tray on top of the salmon, inside the tray and weigh down with two tins of whatever is to hand. Leave refrigerated for 1-3 days. Wash off the curing mix, dry and top with the remaining chopped dill.
To make the bagels I followed the recipe in the September issue of Gourmet Traveller. If you don’t have a copy it’s online here. They are pretty simple to make and very satisfying not to buy the shiny perfectly smooth round supermarket ones. Instead you will have real ones that look homemade, which is much more impressive.
To serve thinly slice the salmon and serve with toasted bagels. Serve with aïoli, crème fraîche with freshly grated horseradish, sour cream or whatever you fancy.
How much do you love cured Salmon?. It is one of my favourite things. Your bagels look good. Ill have to take a look at that recipe
http://www.mykitchenstories.com.au
Thanks Tania, now it’s one of my favourite things too 🙂
This sounds incredible. The purple cure bleeding into the coral flesh of salmon looks beautiful and the combination of earthy sweet beetroot, brought out with the brown sugar in the curing mix, salty cured salmon and the fresh aniseed flavour of fennel and dill, together with a homemade bagel and a warming horseradish sour cream sounds delicious. Thanks for sharing the wonderful recipe
That looks fantastic! I didn’t realise that was how beetroot curing was done, it’s so simple! Do you know how long it would keep for once cured? That is, if I don’t eat it all in one day! 😀
I left it for 3 days to cure and ate it for 4 days after that. I’ve read that it will keep for a good week, well wrapped, after curing.
Good on you for making your own bagels – I read that recipe and was quite intimidated by it but you make it seem almost achievable (and the bagels look great)
Thanks Cara, so much easier than I thought. You should give the bagels a try, so easy, honestly!
I love the scarelt flesh! So pretty 🙂 I have wanted to cure salmon for a while. Must give it a go!
That salmon is just plain beautiful to look at (and to taste I imagine). You might just have given me the nudge i needed to try out some home curing. I did not realise it was that easy! And then you get to slice it as thick as you want… Yum. Good job on the bagels too.
The idea of curing pink salmon flesh with magenta beetroot really appeals to me. I might add some grated horseradish too. Thank you for sharing.
wow! you made your own bagels, awesome!!
I know! Nuts aye.
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