The Good News Nicki Reiss cures salmon to create a stand-in for pastrami that's rich in omega-3 fatty acids. The salmon is deliciously savory, but it's also slightly sweet from the raw sugar in the cure and the molasses in the glaze. More Recipes With Salmon
How to Make It
Rub the salmon fillet all over with the lemon juice. Place the fillet skin side down in a glass dish. In a small bowl, combine the salt, raw sugar, cracked black pepper, cilantro, parsley and shallots and rub the seasonings all over the salmon. Cover the salmon loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 days.
In a small saucepan, combine the molasses, bay leaves and cayenne and bring to a simmer. Let cool to room temperature.
In a small skillet, lightly toast the caraway and coriander seeds over moderate heat, shaking the pan, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Transfer the seeds to a mortar and let cool completely. Crush the seeds as finely as possible with a pestle. Stir in the paprika and ground pepper.
Gently scrape the seasonings off the gravlax. Set the gravlax on a plate, skin side down. Brush the gravlax with the molasses; pick off the bay leaves. Sprinkle the ground spices evenly over the fillet. Refrigerate the gravlax uncovered for at least 12 hours or overnight.
Using a long, sharp knife, cut the gravlax crosswise into very thin slices. Arrange the slices on plates and serve.
Make Ahead
Notes
One Serving 362 cal, 19 gm total fat, 3.7 gm saturated fat, 11 gm carb, 0.5 gm fiber.
Serve With
Toasted brown or black bread and moutarde violette (grainy mustard with grape must) or Dijon mustard.