Homemade Gravlax (Cured Salmon)

I have a deep love for smoked and cured salmon. Well, any fish, really. Salmon, though, is my #1 favorite. WhIle some people put tiny cuts of lox on their bagels, I want a mound on mine. Ideally there's a greater salmon to bagel ratio. If I haven't made myself clear, I can't get enough of the stuff. So, when I first learned of gravlax from my mother-in-law, I knew I needed it in my life. Gravlax is a Nordic recipe that involves curing salmon (or any other fatty fish) in salt, sugar, pepper, and dill.  Once these ingredients have been rubbed all over the fish and arranged so that the two fillets are placed with the flesh sides pressed against each other, the salmon is then wrapped in aluminum foil.  At this point, it is left in the fridge, set in a pan with a weight on top of it, for 48 hours. For a number of years, we made it fairly often. While it's not difficult to prepare, it does take some forethought. To have it on Sunday, I'd have to get everything ready on Friday. 

However,  we recently acquired two Himalayan salt blocks, so I thought I'd give it a try using those. Not only were the results delicious, but the preparation was cleaner and faster (it takes less time to cure... closer to 36 hours). Of course, I don't expect people to have salt blocks, so I've included two recipes below. Enjoy this as an appetizer at Christmas dinner or your New Year's Eve party or for a very special Sunday brunch. 

HOMEMADE GRAVLAX (Using Salt Block)
Yield: 4-6 servings
Tools: baking pan, aluminum foil, 2 Himalayan salt blocks

Ingredients:
1 1/2 lbs salmon fillet (skin on)
Large bunch of fresh dill
Lemon (optional)

Directions:
Line a large baking pan with aluminum foil. Place one of the salt blocks on the pan and cover the surface of the salt block with a bunch of dill.

Using a sharp pairing knife, score the skin of the salmon with 3-4 incisions. Lay the salmon fillet on top of the salt block, skin-side down. Cover the flesh of the salmon with more fresh dill and place the second salt block on top. Transfer to the refrigerator. Let cure for 36 hours. 

Before slicing, remove the dill.

Slice thinly and serve with bagels or pumpernickel bread.  It is tasty with either cream cheese or butter.  A nice mustard sauce would work nicely as well.  Or just a couple lemon wedges.

HOMEMADE GRAVLAX (Without Salt Block)
Yield: 4-6 servings
Tools: baking pan, aluminum foil

Ingredients:
2 - 1.5 lb salmon fillets (skin on)
1/3 cup kosher salt
1/3 cup sugar
3 tablespoons white pepper
Large bunch of fresh dill
3 tablespoons gin

Directions:
Mix the salt, sugar, and white pepper in a bowl.  Lay out two sheets of aluminum foil that are 6 inches longer than one of the fish fillets on a roasting pan or another rimmed baking dish that is big enough to hold the fish.  Rub the fish with the salt/sugar mixture on both sides of each of the fillets.

Lay one fillet, skin-side down, into the baking dish.  Cover the flesh side with heaping handfuls of fresh dill.  Drizzle with the gin.  Place the remaining fillet, flesh side down, on top of the other piece of fish.  Fold the ends of the aluminum foil over the fillets so that it completely wraps the fish.  Wrap with another two sheets of foil, so it is tightly packaged up.  Place a weight (I use another heavy, but smaller, baking dish and then fill it with oranges and grapefruits) on top of the fish and let sit in the fridge, flipping every 12 hours, for 48 hours.

Before slicing, remove the dill.

Slice thinly and serve with bagels or pumpernickel bread.  It is tasty with either cream cheese or butter.  A nice mustard sauce would work nicely as well.  Or just a couple lemon wedges.

Sunrise/Sunset (Mezcal, Ginger and Grenadine Cocktail) + Giveaway

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post in collaboration with Cocktail Artist. As always, the opinions expressed here are my own. 

When I think about bottled lemon or lime juice, I'm reminded of those little containers you get at the store filled with a liquid that mildly resembles citrus, but with a slight metallic flavor. I basically learned that bottled was not an option. Earlier this year, I heard about Cocktail Artist from my friend and Boston bartender, Tenzin Sambo... he started posting about his collaboration with them and I was immediately intrigued. I knew that he wouldn't put his name on something if it wasn't a stellar product. With that said, I remained skeptical. 

A box arrived with the lineup of Cocktail Artist products not too long ago and I immediately got started with quick, easy recipes, like a whiskey sour. I was surprised by how fresh the drinks tasted; lacking the artificial, cloyingly sweetness that comes with most bottled mixers. Now, when I'm in need of a cocktail, all it takes is a a few pours, a quick shake or stir, and I'm ready to go. 

Below I'm featuring a creation I made using the Cocktail Artist products. Of course, if you don't have a bottle of these products on hand, you can still make the drink. I went for my favorite spirit, mezcal, and utilized the great bottled citrus from their collection. I don't think I'd ever used grenadine before, but I wanted a bit more sweetness and so I poured a little on top. The color sort of reminded me of a Tequila Sunrise (it definitely does not taste like one, so don't worry)... hence the name. 

And fun news, everyone, but I'm hosting a giveaway of a set of Cocktail Artist products. One person is eligible to win bottles of the following: Simple Syrup, Lime Juice, Grenadine, Lemon Juice, Mint Syrup, Mule Mix, Manhattan Mix and Old-Fashioned Mix. Pretty much all you need to throw a really awesome party. 

Details: 
To enter, leave a comment on this post telling me what your favorite cocktail is (what you like to order at a bar or mix at home).  Eligible to US residents only (sorry international friends)! Giveaway ends at 12PM EST on Friday, December 22, 2017. The winner will be notified via e-mail. If the winner does not respond within 48 hours, another name will be drawn. (Note: Be sure to fill out the e-mail field in the comment form) 

Sunrise/Sunset
Yield: 1 drink
Tools: cocktail shaker, muddler, cocktail strainer
Glassware: Highball

Ingredients:
2 oz mezcal
1 oz lime juice
.5 oz lemon juice
½ oz simple syrup
1" piece of ginger, peeled and cut into 3 slices
¼ oz grenadine
Mint, garnish
Crushed ice

Directions:
Add ginger, lime juice, and simple syrup to cocktail shaker. Muddle ginger. Add mezcal, along with 3-4 ice cubes and shake for 15 seconds. Strain into highball. Fill glass to the top with crushed ice. Top with grenadine and garnish with mint. Serve with a bar straw. 

Salt Cod and Sweet Potato Latkes

Originally, these weren't going to be latkes. It was going to be a Spanish tortilla. We had quite a few of them while we were in Madrid a few months ago, and one of the more memorable variations contained salt cod. I made a mental note to recreate it at home. When we returned, I started with regular, plain potatoes, and then moved up to sweet potato. By the time I got to work on one with salt cod, however, I realized that we were quickly approaching Hanukkah and felt that a latke was a more fitting preparation. And that's how I ended up here. I know you're probably thinking: Great story. Move on already, Brian! Just tell us how they turned out. Well, in my humble opinion, I think they're pretty awesome. If you're serving latkes to first-timers or to folks who will freak if they're not traditional, well, then I wouldn't try these out on them. But if you're with some more adventurous folks, then I think they'll be totally into these. 

Salt Cod and Sweet Potato Latkes
Yield: 24 latkes

Ingredients:
1/2 lb salt cod
1 lb peeled sweet potatoes, coarsely grated
1/2 cup grated white onion
1/3 cup flour
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Vegetable oil

Crème fraiche, optional
Chopped chive, optional
Lemon wedges, optional

Directions:
Place salt cod a shallow glass baking dish and cover with cold water. Soak the salt cod overnight.

Strain salt cod and place in a pot with fresh water. Set over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil and cook for 10 minutes. Strain of water and transfer cod to a bowl. Flake fish with a fork.

In a separate bowl, mix together the grated sweet potato and onion, followed by the egg. Add flour, salt, and pepper and mix to combine. Fold in the salt cod.

Set a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 3 tablespoons vegetable oil. When the oil begins to shimmer, you can start cooking the latkes. Working in batches, spoon 1/4 cup of the batter into the skillet for each latke. Using a spatula, press down lightly to form a pancake shape. Cook for 2 minutes on each side, until golden-brown.

Transfer to a plate lined with paper towel. Serve with crème fraiche and chopped chive on top and lemon wedges on the side.