Wow! A smoked salmon recipe that doesn’t require any smoke?! Sounds almost too good to be true but you can bet it is true. Try this meaty dish in all the ways you would use store-bought smoked salmon for a fresh alternative!
Yield: 8 servings
Prep Time: 10 minutes (plus 8 hours curing); if poaching, add 5 minutes
Cook Time: N/A if curing; if poaching, add 20 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes (plus 8 hours curing); if poaching, add 20 minutes (plus 8 hours curing)
Ingredients:
Cure
- 3 tablespoons Lapsang souchong tea
- ¼ cup kosher salt
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- One 1¼-pound piece center-cut, skin-on salmon, pin bones removed
If Poaching
- 1 piece Lapsang souchong-cured salmon
- 2 to 3 cups extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for serving
- Flaky salt
Directions:
- Cure the salmon: In a spice grinder or coffee mill, add the Lapsang souchong tea and pulverize until very fine. Transfer the ground tea to a small bowl and stir in the salt and sugar. Pour half of the tea cure into an 8-inch container. Set the salmon on top, skin side down. Pour the remaining tea cure over the salmon and pat lightly to evenly coat the surface. Cover the container and refrigerate for at least 8 hours but no more than 12 hours.
- Remove the salmon from the refrigerator and rinse it under cold water, letting the water remove the excess tea cure (don’t rub the salmon to remove the cure). Blot the salmon dry with paper towels and set it on a cutting board.
- If serving the salmon cured: Use a very sharp knife to slice the salmon paper-thin on a bias and against the grain. Arrange on a platter and serve.
- If poaching the salmon: Preheat the oven to 250° F. Place the cured, rinsed salmon in a medium oven-safe saucepan or casserole (the salmon shouldn’t touch the edges of the pan) and pour enough olive oil over the salmon to barely submerge it. Place the saucepan in the oven and poach until the fish is pale pink across its entire surface with barely white edges, and the oil smells very fragrant, 18 to 20 minutes.
- Transfer the poached salmon to a paper-towel-lined plate, and then use 2 forks to flake the salmon. Place the flaked salmon on a plate, drizzle with more olive oil, and serve with a pinch of flaky salt.
Recipe from the Tasting Table Test Kitchen: Lapsang Souchong Salmon
Feature image by Helen. It’s been cropped from the original. – Usage license – CC BY 2.0.
