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Pickled Salmon

Pickled salmon prepared by simmering, then curing with anchovies, saltpetre, sweet oil, and vinegar.

From an old cookbook · modernised transcription
From a historical cookbook (Internet Archive) · 7 ingredients
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Why it works: White wine and vinegar are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 11% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 1,776 recipes. Both carry beta-damascenone, which smells apple, rose. The science ↓

Pickled Salmon

Ingredients

Directions

Poach the salmon

  1. Place the salmon pieces in a fish kettle and cover with water and plenty of salt.

  2. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer gently until cooked.

  3. Remove from heat and let the salmon sit in the cooking liquid until cold.

Pickle

  1. Arrange the salmon pieces in a tub for pickling.

  2. Add anchovies, pounded saltpetre, and sweet oil over the salmon.

  3. In a separate saucepan, combine the salmon cooking liquid with white wine vinegar.

  4. Heat the mixture to skim and boil for 2-3 minutes.

  5. Let it cool.

  6. Pour the cooled mixture over the salmon and cover tightly.

  7. Turn the salmon after 3 days; it will be ready to use in a week.

Recipe from a historical cookbook (Internet Archive).

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.

  1. White wine + vinegartop 11% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together1,776 recipes

    Shared aroma: beta-damascenone (apple, rose).

  2. Salmon + white winetop 22% of all pairs
    Smell alikelow
    Cooked together590 recipes

    Shared aroma: guaiacol (smoky, sweet).

  3. Salmon + vinegartop 27% of all pairs
    Smell alikelow
    Cooked together1,675 recipes

    Shared aroma: acetic acid (sour, vinegar).

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

Salmon
Is the main protein that is poached and then marinated to firm and flavour the flesh.
White wine vinegar
Adds acidity that sharpens the flavour and helps preserve the pickling liquid.
Sweet oil
Adds fat and richness, carrying flavour through the pickling liquid.
Anchovies
Contribute salty, savoury depth that rounds out the pickling flavour.
Pounded saltpetre
Acts as a curing agent that helps preserve the fish and keep its colour.

The step that matters

Let the salmon sit in the cooking liquid until cold. Cooling slowly in the seasoned liquid lets the flesh firm and absorb salt gently. Pouring the pickling liquid over fish that is still warm can make it break up and turn mushy.

“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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