Cured Salmon with Beet and Horseradish

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Homemade lox, with a kick! It couldn’t be more gorgeous to the eye, or more delicious on a bagel. Not to mention, it’s just plain fun to make and serve your own home-cured stuff.

Adapted from the New York Times

Prepare 3 days in advance

Ingredients

¾ cup kosher salt
2¾ tablespoons cracked black pepper
1 salmon fillet, about 2 pounds, skin on

 

4 ounces fresh horseradish root, or from a jar
¾ lb pound red beets, raw
1 bunch fresh dill
¼ cup plus 3 tablespoons granulated sugar

Instructions

  1. If using fresh horseradish, peel, and cut into chunks. Grate using the grating disc in a food processor, then chop finely using the steel blade. Place in a large stainless steel or glass bowl. 
  2. Peel the beets, and cut into chunks. Grate using the grating disc in a food processor, and add to the bowl, juice and all.
  3. Roughly chop the dill, and add to the bowl.
  4. Add sugar, salt and pepper to the bowl, and stir to combine thoroughly.
  5. Remove pin bones from salmon with needle-nosed pliers.
  6. Choose a flat-bottomed, nonreactive pan that is just large enough to hold the salmon fillet. Put enough of the beet mixture into the pan to cover the bottom, and spread evenly. Place the salmon, skin-side down, on top. 
  7. Cover the flesh with the remaining beet mixture, making it thinner on tail and belly section and thicker everywhere else.
  8. Cover with plastic wrap. Place another similar-sized pan on top, and then weight it down with cans, tiles or whatever is at hand. 
  9. Cure in the refrigerator for 3 days.
  10. When ready to serve, gently scrape off beet mixture and discard. Slice it cross-wise, as thinly as possible. Will last 1 week refrigerated and wrapped in plastic.

My husband says: Fresh horseradish root is wonderful, but very strong, and produces blindingly intense fumes when grated. Do not grate it by hand; it will overpower you. And keep your face well away from the food processor bowl when you open it.