I celebrated Easter with my boyfriend’s family this year, and boy was I in for a treat! His sister and her French boyfriend took the initiative to create a three course meal from scratch. Homemade chocolate éclairs, anyone? I was impressed by the perfectly moist halibut, the juicy lamb (I did not get to try this since I don’t eat meat but my boyfriend’s face when he took a bite made it pretty clear that it was heavenly), the candied pecan and gorgonzola salad, fresh pasta with homemade pesto sauce, and baked brussel sprouts perfectly flavored with cooked onion and carrots. However, it was the appetizer of four flavors of smoked salmon (black pepper, dill and lemon, dill and ginger, and dill and beet) that really sold me on the French’s ability to prepare delectable food.

After trying this homemade smoked salmon, I have been inspired to add the delicious fish to my breakfast and lunches. Lucky for us, salmon is filled with omega-3 fatty acids which are great for brain function, weight loss, reducing inflammation, and protect against heart disease, diabetes, some types of cancer and arthritis.

Making your own lox or smoked salmon can save you money and reduce the sodium content. To make your own lox follow these simple instructions. Season it with dill, lemon, pepper, or whatever flavor you prefer, then enjoy it on a whole wheat English muffin with whipped cream cheese, on a salad, or in an egg-white omelet or sandwich!

Ingredients

One 2 pound salmon fillet, skin off

¼ cup of salt

¼ cup of white sugar

1-2 bunches of fresh dill

2 tsps of freshly cracked black pepper

Lemon juice (optional)

Preparation

1. Simply rub the salmon fillet all over with the salt and sugar, and sprinkle with the pepper.
2. Place half of the dill in glass or other non reactive container, big enough to hold the salmon flat (it can be cut into pieces to fit as necessary), lay the salmon on the dill, and cover with the other half of the dill. Cover with plastic wrap, and place something heavy on the top, to compress the salmon.
3. Let it sit in the fridge for 2 days, draining the water that collects off once. Check to see if the salmon is finished after 2 days. The texture will change, and become denser, and it will look like smoked salmon when finished. If it is not all the way through cured, give it one more day of curing.
4. That’s it. Wash off the salt and sugar, and slice as thinly as possible, with a very sharp knife.
5. If you want a smokier flavor, finish the salmon off with a couple of hours of cold smoking in the BBQ!

 

-Emily Freeman