Gin-cured Salmon with Pickled Cucumber

Curing your own salmon is so worth the effort. This is one of the easiest methods of preparing salmon. It takes a little time to cure, so begin a day ahead, but is surprisingly simple to make.

The fish is marinated with citrus zest, juniper berries, dill, and of course GIN. Eat it as is, with a generous squeeze of lemon, a bowl of horseradish cream, pickled cucumbers and pita crisps. It makes a great bagel too with a smear of cream cheese topped with capers, thinly sliced red onion and dill leaves.

Ingredients

For the salmon

• 700-800g piece salmon fillet (centre-cut), skin-on, pin boned.
• 150 g sea salt flakes
• 100g caster sugar
• grated rind 2 large lemons
• 1tbs coarsely ground black pepper
• 1 tbs juniper berries, crushed
• 100mls Gin
• 1 cup fresh dill, chopped
• extra chopped dill and lemon zest to serve.

Quick pickled cucumbers

• 2 Lebanese cucumbers
• 1/4 cup rice vinegar
• 1 tsp caster sugar

Method

For the salmon

1. Trim the salmon
2. Combine the salt, sugar, pepper, juniper berries and dill in a bowl and mix well.
3. Add the Gin and stir until it resembles wet sand.
4. Rinse the salmon and pat dry.
5. Line a baking tray with several layers of clingwrap with plenty of overlap.
6. spread 1/3 on the salt mix on the wrap.
7. Lay the salmon on top, and spread the remaining mix evenly over the salmon.
8. Wrap tightly with the overlapping clingwrap.
9. Add the sliced cucumbers and leave for 30 minutes to pickle
10. Place a second baking tray on top and weigh it down with canned goods.
11. Refrigerate for 24 hours, turning after 12 hours.
12. Remove the salmon from the dish; discard the Gin mixture, scraping away any loose topping.
13. Wipe well with damp paper towel.

to serve

14. Place the fish flesh-side down, and slide a long, sharp knife between the flesh and the skin at the short end.
15. Using a paper towel to grip, gently pull the skin off.
16. Flip the fish over, scatter over extra finely chopped dill and lemon zest.
17. Slice thinly at a 45% angle as thinly as possible across the grain.
18. Scatter over extra finely chopped dill and lemon zest.

for the cucumbers

19. Slice the cucumbers very thinly.
20. Dissolve the sugar in the rice vinegar.
21. Add the cucumbers, mix well and let stand for 30 minutes to pickle.