Salmon Gravlax With Buckwheat Blini

Recipe Ingredients

		Salmon Gravlax
1		Lemon - zested
2 cups	474ml	Coarse sea salt
1/2 cup	99g / 3.5oz	Sugar
1 tablespoon	15ml	Whole white peppercorns
1/2		Fresh dill
2 lbs	908g / 32oz	Side of salmon, 1" thick - skin on, and
		Pin bones removed
		Buckwheat Blini
1		Active dry yeast
1 1/2 cups	355ml	Warm milk - (108 to 110 degrees)
1 cup	62g / 2.2oz	All-purpose flour
1/2 cup	31g / 1.1oz	Buckwheat flour
1/2 teaspoon	2.5ml	Salt
1 teaspoon	5ml	Sugar
1/4 cup	49g / 1.7oz	Melted unsalted butter - plus
		More for sauteing
3		Eggs - separated (large)
		Dill Creme Fraiche
1/2 cup	118ml	Creme fraiche
1/2		Fresh dill - leaves coarsely
		Chopped
1/2		Lemon - juiced
1 teaspoon	5ml	Sea salt
		Radish Lime Salsa
1		Radishes - coarsely chopped
1		Tomato - coarsely chopped
1/2		Red onion - coarsely chopped
1/2		Fresh cilantro leaves
2 tablespoons	30ml	Rice wine vinegar
1		Lime - juiced
1/4 cup	59ml	Extra-virgin olive oil
		Sea salt - to taste
		Freshly-ground black pepper - to taste

Recipe Instructions

Remove the zest of the lemon with a vegetable peeler in fat strips and toss it in a bowl. Add the salt, sugar, white peppercorns, and dill; rub all the ingredients together with your hands to release the oils in the zest and dill.

Lay the fish out on a large sheet pan or glass baking dish. Pack the salt mixture on top of and around the salmon. Cover with another sheet pan and place a brick or heavy can weight on top to press out the moisture from the salmon. Refrigerate for 24 to 36 hours to cure the fish.

Scrape the salt mixture off the salmon and lightly rinse the fish under cool water; pat dry with paper towels. The cured salmon will be firm but pliable.

To set up the presentation, lay the salmon on a large wooden cutting board. (The whole fish looks great as a center piece on the table, so only slice a quarter of the gravlax at a time.) With a very sharp knife slice the salmon New York Deli-style; paper-thin on a slight angle. Serve the cured salmon with the Blini, the Dill Creme Fraiche, and Radish-Lime Salsa on the side. This is an interactive hors d'oeuvre: let your friends attack it, then slice more as needed.

To prepare the blini, in a large bowl, proof the yeast in the warm milk for 10 minutes, stirring to dissolve. In another large bowl, sift the all-purpose flour, buckwheat flour, salt, and sugar together. Make a well in the center and pour in the yeast mixture, melted butter, and egg yolks (reserve the whites) and whisk until smooth. Cover with a towel and let it rise in a warm place for 1 1/2 hours.

Just before you are ready to cook the blini, beat the egg whites until stiff, then fold them into the batter. Place a griddle or non-stick skillet over medium-high heat and brush it with a little melted butter. Pour 1 tablespoon of the batter into the pan, to make pancakes about 3 inches in diameter. Cook for about 30 seconds, then flip them over with a spatula and cook another 30 seconds. Stack the blini on a platter and wrap them in a cloth napkin to keep them warm.

Dill Creme Fraiche: Mix all ingredients together in a bowl until combined. (Makes 3/4 cup)

Radish-Lime Salsa: Put all the salsa ingredients in a food processor and pulse 5 times to combine. Put it in a bowl and serve. (Makes 2 1/2 cups)

This recipe yields about 40 blini.

Source:
FOOD 911 with Tyler Florence - (Show # FO-1D21) - from the TV FOOD NETWORK

Rating

Average rating:

4 (1 votes)

Submit your rating:

• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5
• 6
• 7
• 8
• 9
• 10

Click a star to rate this recipe.