Tag Archives: dill

Appetizer

Fennel & Dill Salt-Cured Salmon over Baby Greens

Every summer, when it gets very hot, my husband and I salt-cure a salmon filet. It’s not only a quick thing to do; it yields enough fish to easily feed a dozen people and maybe even find yourself with leftovers the next day for topping crostini with Mascarpone and chives, or enriching a plate of homemade egg tagliatelle.

Basically a gravlax, this recipe requires only a pristine piece of salmon (I much prefer wild sockeye for its clean, intense flavor), sea salt, sugar, a few herbs and spices, and 48 hours of patience. Most gravlax recipes have you enclose the salmon in plastic while curing in the refrigerator; I find the flavor brighter if the fish is simply allowed to sit in a covered container, where it can breathe.

The most important thing when you are ready to serve the salmon is to use a very sharp knife to slice it as thinly as possible, and to serve it very, very cold.

If you aren’t sure about the weight of the salmon, weigh it; the amount of salt prescribed is for a 2-pound filet. If the filet is smaller, it will end up too salty; if it is bigger, it may lack flavor. Adjust the quantity of salt and sugar according to the weight of the salmon filet.

gravlaxsalad

Serves 8 as an appetizer

For the salmon:

  • 1 filet wild sockeye salmon (2 lbs), skin on, scales and pin bones removed, rinsed and blotted dry
  • 2 teaspoon fennel seeds
  • 2 teaspoons black peppercorns
  • 1/4 cup fine sea salt
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh dill
  • grated zest of 1 lemon

For the salad:

  • 5 ounces baby greens, washed and dried
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • juice of 1 lemon
  • 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Make the salmon: Place the salmon in a deep storage container with a tight-fitting lid, or in a large roasting pan.

Place the fennel seeds and black peppercorns in a mortar and crush with a pestle (or use a spice grinder) until medium-coarse in texture. The spices should not become pulverized, as a bit of coarseness adds to the visual and textural appeal of the final dish. Place in a small bowl and add the salt, sugar, dill, and lemon zest, and mix well.

Spread the mixture all over the salmon, on both the skin and the flesh side, putting a little more on the flesh side.

Arrange the salmon with the flesh side up. Cover the container with its lid or the roasting pan with a piece of aluminum foil, and refrigerate for 48 hours.

When you are ready to serve, blot the salmon filet on several layers of paper towels (I blot the skin side as well as the flesh side, but I try to leave the spicing intact if possible). Using a very sharp knife, cut into nearly transparent slices, leaving the skin behind and working the knife at an angle so the slices come out wider. Place the slices on a platter while you prepare the salad.

Make the salad: Toss the greens with the salt and pepper in a deep bowl. Add the lemon juice and toss again, then add the olive oil and toss one final time. Taste and adjust the seasoning.

Pile onto 8 plates. Top with the sliced salmon and enjoy immediately.

gravlaxDSC4625

Soup

Chilled Beet Soup with Buttermilk & Dill

Our friend Grazina brought us a container of this shockingly pink soup two weeks ago, on a particularly hot day. It looked like nothing I had ever eaten before, and at first my husband and I could not quite figure out what was in it, other than beets and dairy and dill.

This soup, known in Grazina’s Lithuanian family as “Pink Soup”, is a chilled borscht of sorts. I grew up eating borscht (my Romanian Jewish grandmother made it often) and never really liked it. This soup tasted nothing like the borscht I knew. It is brightly flavored, herbal, and so refreshing. While the ingredient list looks daunting, the actual process is quick and easy: roast some beets; boil some eggs and beet greens (though Grazina uses spinach, and you can too); crush scallions with dill and salt; toss all of the above with buttermilk, sour cream, lemon juice, cucumbers; and enjoy the next day, after the flavors have had a chance to mingle and develop fully.

Serves 4

For the beets:

  • ½ pound beets( 2 medium or 3 small), scrubbed
  • ¼ teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

For the soup:

  • 2 large eggs
  • 3 packed cups finely chopped fresh beet greens or spinach
  • 2 large or 3 medium scallions, white and green parts, very thinly sliced
  • ¼ cup fresh dill leaves, coarsely chopped
  • 1 and ½ teaspoons sea salt, plus extra to taste
  • 1 large or 2 small Kirby cucumbers, peeled and cut into ¼-inch dice
  • 2 teaspoons lemon juice, plus extra to taste
  • 2 cups buttermilk
  • ¾ cup light sour cream

beetsroasted

Make the beets: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Place the beets on a roasting pan and toss with the salt and pepper. Roast in the preheated oven until tender when pierced with a knife, about 2 hours. Larger beets may take longer. Cool to room temperature, then peel and cut into ¼-inch dice.

Make the soup: Place the eggs in a small pot. Add cool water to cover. Bring to a boil and shut off the heat. Cover with a tight-fitting lid. Let rest 13 minutes to cook through, then drain and cool. Shell and cut into ¼-inch dice.

Place 2 cups of water in the same (empty) pot. Return to a boil. Add the beet greens and boil 3 minutes, or until tender and silky. Drain and rinse under cool water to stop the cooking. Squeeze gently dry.

In a mortar, place the scallions, dill, and salt. Crush with a pestle until the scallions and dill release their juice; they will still be chunky, not pasty.

Place the scallion mixture in a large container. Add the cucumbers, lemon juice, buttermilk, sour cream, cooked beet greens, roasted beets, and hard-boiled eggs. Mix well. Taste for seasoning and adjust as needed. Cover the container and chill overnight.

Adjust the seasoning if needed and serve very cold. The flavor should be slightly tart and sweet, and quite savory; if the soup tastes flat, add a drop more lemon juice and some salt until the flavors brighten.

pinksoupDSC4631