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The Kitchn: Your brunch spread needs this beautiful beet-cured salmon

By Christine Gallary on

TheKitchn.com

If you're looking for a showstopper, look no further than this gorgeous beet-cured salmon. Covering salmon with shredded red beets gives the fish a beautiful gradient of red, pink and orange. Underneath the beets, the salmon sits in a cure made with salt, sugar and herbs, which firms up the flesh and imparts the saltiness we all know and love in lox.

Curing salmon might seem like an intimidating kitchen project, but all you need is time -- there's absolutely no cooking involved. It's guaranteed to amaze your guests at your next brunch or dinner party.

Salmon Curing 101

The salmon: When shopping for a side of salmon, remember that it won't be cooked over heat but instead will be sitting in a salt and sugar cure. Get the best-quality salmon you can to yield the best results. The fish shouldn't have an overly fishy smell and the flesh should be quite firm.

Bottom of Form

 

The cure: A cure is simply made of salt and sugar but can be jazzed up with other flavorings. Lemon zest and fresh dill are classic pairings with cured salmon, and they help impart a fresh, bright taste to the fish. The amount of salt here is important: We used 2/3 cup Diamond Crystal kosher salt. If you're using another brand, weigh out 100 grams to get an equal amount, since salt crystals can vary in shape and size and thus weigh differently. Last comes a blanket of shredded red beets, which add moisture, more sweetness and of course that red color that makes this salmon so beautiful.

Weighing it down: Once the salmon is coated with the cure, it's important to cover and weigh it down with heavier things. This helps press out excess moisture and firms up the fish so that it's easier to slice. Load up a baking dish with cans or other heavy things you find around your kitchen. After two or three days, the salmon is cured and ready to slice!

How to eat beet-cured salmon

You can eat beet-cured salmon just like you would lox or salmon. It's delicious on bagels or a piece of flatbread with some cucumber slices and fresh herbs, or you can even dice it up and put it into a chopped salad. Look for ingredients with contrasting flavors and textures, like lemon, cream cheese, thinly slivered onions, or capers to really make the beet-cured salmon sing.

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