Why it works: Vinegar and sugar are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 15% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 20,806 recipes. Both carry beta-damascenone, which smells apple, rose. The science ↓
Salmon to Souse or Pickle
Ingredients
Directions
Poach and brine
Boil the salmon as directed.
Remove the fish and boil the liquid with bay leaves, peppercorns, and coarse sea salt.
Let the liquid cool, then add vinegar and pour it over the fish.
Split the fish, remove the insides and roe, and scale it.
Rub the fish with coarse sea salt and let it hang for 24 hours to drain.
Cure and dry
Mix saltpeter, bay salt, and coarse sugar; rub this mixture into the salmon.
Place the salmon on a dish for two days, then rub it with coarse sea salt.
After 24 hours, dry the salmon well and hang it in a chimney or dry place, keeping it open with two small sticks.
Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures.
Explore the science
The flavor team
The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.
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Vinegar + sugartop 15% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together20,806 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-damascenone (apple, rose).
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Salmon + vinegartop 27% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together1,675 recipes
Shared aroma: acetic acid (sour, vinegar).
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Salmon + sugartop 35% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together931 recipes
Shared aroma: guaiacol (smoky, sweet).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Salmon
- Provides the flesh that is firmed, preserved and dried into the finished fish.
- Vinegar
- Adds acidity that sharpens the flavour and helps preserve the fish.
- Saltpeter (in the method)
- Acts as a curing agent that helps preserve the fish and keep its colour.
- Coarse sea salt
- Draws out moisture from the fish, firming the flesh and aiding preservation.
- Coarse sugar
- Balances the salt and adds mild sweetness to the cure.
The step that matters
Drying the salmon after curing. The fish must be dried well before hanging, because surface moisture slows drying and can encourage spoilage. Hanging in a cool, airy place lets it dry evenly.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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