Pickled
Salmon
by
Joyce Goldstein
"Passover
is a wonderful opportunity to gather with family, and to
instill in the children the special tradition and heritage
of Passover. I like to make foods that are extra special
such as gribines which is certainly a special once-in-a-year
indulgence. This recipe is a re-working of a very old family
recipe. My mother-in-law used to talk lox,-also known as
smoked salmon, and soak it in water for days to remove the
salt, and then put the fish in pickling brine. As we can
get local salmon, I thought why not use fresh fish for this
dish? I tried it and it has become a much requested favorite
during salmon season. During Passover we serve this along
with gefilte fish as a special holiday fish plate. The-onions
are not just a visual garnish. They pick up the flavor of
the marinade and are a delicious counterpoint to the salmon.
Serve with rye bread or, at Passover, with matzoh."
Yields
4-6 servings
- 1/2
cups white wine vinegar
- 2
cups water
- 1/2
cup sugar
- 4
tablespoons kosher salt
- 12
bay leaves
- 4
tablespoons mixed pickling spices
- 4
white or yellow onions, sliced 1/4 inch thick
- 4
pounds salmon fillet, skin and bones removed
Bring
the vinegar, water, sugar, and salt to a boil. Let this
mixture cool completely. Cut the-salmon into pieces that
are approximately 1 inch by 2 inches. In a ceramic crock
glass bowl-or plastic container, place a layer of salmon
pieces, then a sprinkling of pickling spices and-bay leaves,
a layer of sliced onions, then repeat the layering of salmon,
spices, and onions-until you have used them all. Pour the
cooled marinade over the fish. If the fish has a-tendency
to float, weigh down the fish with a ceramic plate. Cover
the container. Refrigerate-the salmon for 3 to 5 days. Serve
the salmon, along with its marinated onions, and rye bread.
A sliced cucumber salad with sour cream dressing is also
a nice accompaniment.
