I've been hosting a lot of homemade bagel parties and wanted to find a way to create my own lox and then found this recipe on Food52. I love the delicate mineral sweetness of the salmon and the touch of smokiness that the Lapsang Souchong tea provides. Lapsang Souchong tea is a smoked tea which comes from the Fujian Province of China. With a little bit of milk and honey it's comforting and warm like a single malt scotch. With this curing blend, you get the smoky notes without the mess of making a fire.
Ingredients
2 lbs of wild sockeye salmon
1 Jar The Gypsy Fish Company Smoky Curing Blend
Directions
Defrost salmon and pat dry.
Line a non-reactive dish with plastic wrap - you’ll want a similarly shaped dish to fit on top - I often use two pie pans or, for larger quantities, I use two sheet trays. Layer the bottom of the pan with plastic wrap. Sprinkle generously with the curing mix and then lay each piece of salmon skin side down. Now sprinkle the curing mix generously on top and fold the edges of the plastic wrap to cover the salmon tightly. Fit your other pan on top and then add a cast iron casserole or a five pound bag of flour.
Cure in the refrigerator for three to five days.
Remove salmon and rinse off the curing mixture with cold water. Pat dry.
With a sharp knife sliiiiice the salmon crosswise across the skin on a bias. Think about using the same motion you would use when fileting a salmon or, as my Aikido master said when we were practicing sword work, “When you go to chop off someone's head you don’t just go 'thunk' and hit the neck like a hammer. You want to draw the curve of the blade along the neck and let that sharp edge do the work."
It also matters which direction you cut… so look carefully at your fish, you actually want to be cutting with the grain e.g. towards the tail. With some practice, you’ll be able to cut thinner piece which will lead to a melt in your mouth succulent goodness.
So, on a bias, make your slices towards the tail.
With bagels, I will often pair this with a generous spread of goat cheese as the sourness of the Chevre adds another dimension to the delicate sweet and smokiness of the fish.
Your sliced up smoky lox will last 7 - 10 days in your fridge gently wrapped in plastic. Ready for bagels and, if you are feeling perky, toss it in some pasta some parm cheese. You are welcome.
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