HERB-CURED SALMON
This is an extremely adaptable method of preparing salmon. For instance, the fish can be sliced on an extreme bias off the skin; you could fold a few slices of the salmon into freshly cooked crepes. Or you could grill the salmon briefly and serve it with a compound mustard butter. Then again, pasta tossed with cured salmon and some reduced cream is always nice. The choices are endless.
Ч4 cup extra virgin olive oil A 6- to 9-pound salmon, skin on, head removed and flesh taken off the bone (you will have 2 fillets)
1 cup herbs (dill, thyme, basil, orcilantro, or any combination of these)
'/2 cup salt
Ч2 cup black peppercorns, toasted in a
dry skillet 1 cup sugar
1. Drizzle the olive oil all over the flesh of the salmon.
2. Roughly chop the herbs and scatter half of them over the flesh. Now, pack the flesh with a mixture of salt, peppercorns, and sugar. Top the fillet with the remaining herbs. Then match the two sides together and stack one side on top of the other.
3. Carefully lift the salmon into a glass or ceramic dish large enough to hold it without bending it. (It is okay to slice the fish crosswise into equal sections prior to curing it.) Now put another pan on top of the fish and try to weight it evenly. (A few cans or a skillet will work; it doesn't need to be very heavy. You want just enough pressure to help push out the liquid.)
4. Refrigerate the fish overnight. Turn it over in the morning and reweight it.
5. In the afternoon of the second day, check your fish. It should be getting firm. If it is not quite firm, put it back in the refrigerator for the second night.
(recipe continues)
6. By the next morning the fish will be ready. Remove it from the refrigerator, carefully wipe off the cure, and discard the residue.
7. Cut a small piece of the fish. If it tastes too salty, rinse the fish with cool water to remove any remaining salt. Pat dry and lay both sides skin side down. Drizzle a bit more olive oil and fresh herbs over the fish and refrigerate until ready to use.
As the king ofcreole cookery, Paul Prudhomme, tells us, tasso is a highly seasoned Cajun ham. You can purchase tasso through his company, which I did until my good friend, professional chef Tom Trieschmann, offered me his method for making our own. It is wonderful and nitrate-free, important for anyone concerned about health. (It is more perishable this way, but it is so good you will use it up before you have to worry about it!) Tasso can be used anytime you would normally want smoky ham in a dish. Try it instead of Canadian bacon for eggs Benedict, or in a salad with black-eyed peas and a mint vinaigrette.
1. Prepare the brine solution and submerge the pork in it, weighting it as needed, for 2 full days in the refrigerator.
2. Remove the pork from the brine and pat dry.
3. Mix together all the remaining ingredients except garlic and chives.
4. Rub garlic all over the pork. Then rub it with the spice mix and chopped chives. Cover pork and refrigerate for 3 full days.
5. Build a fire in a smoker, or use your grill as a smoker (see manufacturer's instructions), and smoke the meat slowly. (We use hickory and fruitwood for hams.) The internal