Sea marinade

The whole family of salmon fish is known for its unusually mobile and diverse lifestyle: having been born from eggs, fish migrate from fresh water to salt water, and then from the ocean again rise upstream of their native river. And yet, despite such an active character, salmon have long been quite successfully bred in captivity – on numerous marine farms. There, her food no longer consists of krill, which gives the meat of this fish a characteristic rich and bright color, but of products that are designed primarily to increase its growth and weight gain. It is worth noting that even captive-bred salmon, when it reaches our table, remains rich in omega-3 – this valuable type of essential amino acids that benefit health. However, it is impossible not to admit that artificial feeds make salmon meat rather insipid, and sometimes give it a slightly “silty” tint, characteristic of river fish, which, as a rule, sea fish is deprived of.

And yet, whether salmon is farm-raised or caught in free waters, it will still differ in at least two gastronomic features – an almost neutral taste and more or less sprawling meat, which only a good marinade can fix.

Whether we want to taste salmon fresh (in the form of tartare, sashimi or carpaccio), cooked in foil or steamed, grilled or smoked, it should be pre-marinated. It is enough to add a little salt to the meat of any salmon fish (at least for an hour, if it does not work out for several hours), so that it becomes denser and acquires a more pronounced taste. To salt, you can add granulated sugar (in a proportion of 10% to half the amount of salt taken), and coarsely ground pepper, and various spices that are suitable for the dish we are preparing. When the fish is marinated, it can be rinsed and dried in a paper towel. And then taste, cutting, for example, with a sharp fillet knife into thin plates and sprinkled with fresh dill (Scandinavian). Or another option is to sprinkle cilantro with a few drops of soy sauce, lemon juice and olive oil. Pre-marinated salmon can then be cooked in a variety of ways – and the result will invariably be delicious: steamed, in foil, in a smoker, on the grill … It is important to try to catch the moment when a tender piece of salmon is already cooked on the outside on both sides, but there will be barely warm at the core: the difference in textures will make the fish especially juicy and keep the flavor.

Salmon in spices

For 4 persons. Preparation time: 10 minutes.

• 1 salmon fillet with skin on (about 700 g)
• 4 st. l. coarse sea salt
• 3 Art. l. Sahara
• 1 st. l. mixtures of different types of pepper
• 1 st. l. coriander seeds
• 1 st. l. fennel seed
• 1 pinch cardamom
• 6 star cloves

Pound (not too finely) spices in a mortar, mix them with salt, sugar and pepper. Sprinkle a quarter of this mixture on the bottom of a suitable dish and place the fillet skin side down on it. Sprinkle the rest of the mixture on top and cover the dish tightly with cling film. Leave to marinate in the refrigerator for 8-12 hours. Rinse and pat dry the fillet, place skin side down on a cutting board. Cut into thin slices, trying to guide the blade of the knife almost parallel to the skin. Serve immediately or leave in the refrigerator until serving. Lettuce seasoned with olive oil and lemon juice goes well with this dish; chopped white daikon radish; cold cream, pre-whipped with a pinch of salt and a drop of wasabi or grated horseradish; boiled in uniform or baked potatoes with a spoonful of red caviar …

In the oil bath

Pickled salmon (after rinsing it from salt and drying it) can be put in earthenware or ceramic dishes, completely poured with grape seed oil (which does not become cloudy and does not freeze at low temperatures), cover with cling film and let stand like this for two to eight days. This method resembles one of the options for preparing pickled herring. Bay leaves, juniper berries, a pinch of hot capsicum, a couple of clove buds or a little bit of sweet lemon zest can add special shades to the taste of fish.