Salt Cured Salmon with Beets, Citrus and Chives
This salt cured salmon is one of the most impressive things you can make at home that also happens to be incredibly simple. Once you understand the technique, the ingredients do almost all the work for you. A center-cut salmon filet is covered in a mixture of grated beets, salt, sugar, fresh chives, lemon, mandarin, black pepper, and coriander, then it is wrapped tightly, and left in the refrigerator for 24 to 36 hours. After a day or so, you are left with a cured salmon that tastes extraordinary and looks absolutely stunning on any brunch platter.
A Note from Teri on Salt Cured Salmon
This salt cured salmon is the kind of recipe that makes you fall in love with the magic of the kitchen. It sounds like the kind of thing that is so complicated, but it truly could not be easier, and the result is greater than the sum of its parts.
The beets truly make this recipe so spectacular. It adds a ton of flavor and color alongside the citrus as your salmon cures. It then results in perfectly cured salmon that you can enjoy at any brunch gathering. I love serving this to a group on Thanksgiving weekend or Easter morning. It is also perfect for a Mini Meal.
The key to a fantastic recipe like this is high quality ingredients. Possibly the most crucial ingredient here is the salt, which leads the charge when it comes to curing the salmon. Of course, Celtic Sea Salt Fine Ground™ is the absolute best option. It is free of additives and has a vital mineral blend that gives it an unmistakeable flavor.
What is Salt Cured Salmon?
Salt cured salmon, which is also called gravlax, is salmon that has been preserved and flavored through a process of curing rather than cooking. Instead of applying heat, you cover the salmon in a mixture of salt, sugar, and aromatics, wrap it tightly, and refrigerate it for 24 to 36 hours.
Gravlax is a Scandinavian tradition of burying salmon in salt, sugar, and dill and covering with a weight to ferment. This beet-cured version is an updated spin that adds a layer of color, along with the citrus and coriander that give it a brightness and add a depth of flavor.
Ingredients and Variations
- Fresh beets, peeled and grated – The beet juice is what gives the cured salmon its extraordinary color. Grating the beets helps make sure they cover the whole surface.
- Sugar – sugar helps balance salt and helps the cure mixture adhere to the salmon. The sugar also contributes a subtle sweetness to the finished fish.
- Celtic Sea Salt Fine Ground™ – the salt is the foundation of the cure and the ingredient that preserves the salmon. The fine grind means it dissolves evenly into the salmon rather than sitting in clumps.
- Fresh chives, finely chopped – the chives adds a ton of flavor to the cure that carries through to the finished salmon.
- Fresh lemon juice and zest – lemon adds an acidity that balances the richness of the salmon.
- Fresh mandarin juice and zest – this mandarin juice adds a bit of a sweeter citrus flavor that makes the salmon taste so fresh.
- Freshly ground black pepper and coriander seeds – the pepper and coriander add some aromatics to the mix that pack a punch in the cured salmon
- Center-cut salmon filet – center-cut is best because it is the thickest, most even part of the filet, which means it cures evenly from all sides. Look for salmon with the skin on because the skin protects the fish during curing and makes slicing dramatically easier.
How to Make a Salt Cured Salmon
Step One: Make the Cure
Prepare your ingredients for the curing mixture. In a bowl, combine the grated beets, sugar, salt, chives, lemon juice, mandarin juice, black pepper, coriander, and lemon and mandarin zests and mix well. Set aside.
Step Two: Cure the Salmon
Pat the salmon dry. Lay a large piece of plastic wrap on a work surface and spread half of the beet mixture on an area of the plastic wrap about the size of the salmon. Lay the salmon skin-side down on top of the mixture and cover it completely with the remaining mixture, gently pressing it to the flesh. Wrap the salmon tightly with the plastic wrap and place in a baking dish or set on a rimmed sheet pan to cure. Refrigerate for 24-36 hours, turning the salmon halfway through.
Step Three: Assemble A Platter
Unwrap the salmon and scrap off the beet mixture. Quickly rinse the salmon under cold water to remove the remaining cure.
Using a sharp knife, thinly slice the salmon on the diagonal, leaving the skin behind. Serve chilled with your favorite sides or toppings. I love to serve it on a bagel with cream cheese or alongside jammy eggs for breakfast, or with cucumber and tzatziki for a mini meal.
Recipe FAQs
Yes! The curing process is a preservation technique that has been used for centuries. The high concentration of salt draws moisture out of the salmon, which creates an environment that inhibits bacterial growth. The key to safe salt cured salmon is starting with the freshest possible fish, keeping it consistently cold throughout the curing process.
Once cured, rinsed, and dried, the salmon keeps well in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. After slicing, it is best within 1 to 2 days.
Both are preservation techniques for salmon, but they work differently. Salt cured salmon uses salt to cure the fish cold in the refrigerator. Smoked salmon is typically cold-smoked after a brief salt cure. Both are delicious and served cold, but their flavors are quite different.
The salmon is ready when it is firm to the touch all the way through. It should feel firmer than raw salmon, without any soft spots.
Try These Other Salmon Recipes!
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Salt Cured Salmon with Beets, Citrus and Chives
Ingredients
- 3 medium beets peeled and grated
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 6 tablespoons Celtic Sea Salt Fine Ground™
- 2 tablespoons fresh chives finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon fresh mandarin juice or orange
- 1 teaspoon black pepper freshly ground
- ½ teaspoon coriander seeds crushed
- Zest of ½ lemon
- Zest of ½ mandarin or orange
- 1 1- pound salmon filet center cut
Instructions
- In a bowl, combine the grated beets, sugar, salt, chives, lemon juice, mandarin juice, black pepper, coriander, and lemon and mandarin zests and mix well. Set aside.
- Pat the salmon dry. Lay a large piece of plastic wrap on a work surface and spread half of the beet mixture on an area of the plastic wrap about the size of the salmon. Lay the salmon skin-side down on top of the mixture and cover it completely with the remaining mixture, gently pressing it to the flesh. Wrap the salmon tightly with the plastic wrap and place in a baking dish or set on a rimmed sheet pan to cure. Refrigerate for 24-36 hours, turning the salmon halfway through.
- Unwrap the salmon and scrap off the beet mixture. Quickly rinse the salmon under cold water to remove the remaining cure.
- Using a sharp knife, thinly slice the salmon on the diagonal, leaving the skin behind. Serve chilled with your favorite sides or toppings. I love to serve it on a bagel with cream cheese or alongside jammy eggs for breakfast, or with cucumber and tzatziki for a mini meal.
