Pastrami Salmon

After my stay in Norway, I experimented with gravlax recipes and developed this spicier version, which I named after the American delicatessen favorite.
Notes
To Serve: Cut Pastrami Salmon into thin slices on the bias, or diagonally, and serve with mustard oil, rye toast, and (if you wish) To Serve: Cut Pastrami Salmon into thin slices on the bias, or diagonally, and serve with mustard oil, rye toast, and (if you wish) Potato Pancakes . .
10 servings as a starter or more as hors d'oeuvres
Cooking Methodbrining
CostModerate
Total Timea day or more
Make Ahead RecipeYes
Kid FriendlyYes
One Pot MealYes
OccasionBuffet, Casual Dinner Party, Formal Dinner Party
Recipe Courseappetizer, hors d'oeuvre
Equipmentfood processor
Five Ingredients or LessYes
Mealbrunch, dinner, lunch
Taste and Textureherby, hot & spicy, light, savory, spiced
Ingredients
- 1 side salmon, about 2 to 2½ pounds, skin and bones removed
- 1 cup coarse or kosher salt
- ½ cup sugar
- 2 bunches fresh coriander
- 1 bunch fresh Italian parsley
- ½ pound shallots, peeled
- ½ cup molasses
- 2 tablespoons cayenne pepper
- 5 bay leaves
- 4 tablespoons paprika
- 4 tablespoons ground coriander seed
- 4 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper
- 4 tablespoons cracked pepper
- Mustard oil
- Rye toast
- Potato Pancakes (optional)
Instructions
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Place salmon on a platter. Combine salt and sugar. Mix well, and coat both sides of salmon with salt mixture.
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Combine coriander, parsley, and shallots in a food processor and purée. Coat both sides of salmon with purée.
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Refrigerate salmon for 2 to 3 days.
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Scrape marinade from fish and discard. Dry fish with paper towels.
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Combine molasses, cayenne pepper, and bay leaves in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and simmer for 1 minute. Allow molasses mixture to cool and, using a brush, paint fish on both sides with molasses mixture.
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Sprinkle paprika, coriander, ground black pepper, and cracked pepper on both sides of fish. Refrigerate salmon overnight.
1994 David Burke and Carmel Berman Reingold