Pickle Salmon
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare the fish
Clean the fish without scraping off the scales and cut into pieces about eight inches long.
Make the brine
Make a strong brine by boiling 2 quarts of water with 2 pounds of coarse sea salt and ¼ pint of vinegar.
Drain the brine once cooled and lay the fish pieces in a kitchen or small tub, packing them closely.
Pickle and serve
Fill the tub with equal parts of best vinegar and the brine used for boiling.
Let it sit for a day or two, then refill as needed.
Serve with a garnish of fresh fennel.
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
What each ingredient does
- Coarse sea salt
- Draws water out of the fish and seasons it, firming the flesh as it cures.
- Vinegar
- Adds acidity that helps preserve the fish and sharpens its flavour.
- Best vinegar
- Makes up the pickling liquid that fills the tub and keeps the fish covered and acidic.
The step that matters
Packing and covering the fish in the pickling liquid. Fish pieces must be packed closely and fully submerged in the acidic liquid so that no surface is exposed to air and spoilage. Refilling as needed keeps the liquid at full strength.
“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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