Gin-Cured Sockeye Salmon

This recipe features gin and its botanicals—a fabulous flavoring for salmon. When shopping, select fresh, wild sockeye salmon. It’s the best salmon for this recipe because of its low-fat content.

Serves 10 (2 ounces per serving)

1⁄2 cup Gin Botanicals, see below

1 cup granulated sugar

1-1⁄2 cups salt

2 pounds fresh sockeye salmon fillet, skin on, pin bones removed

6–10 fresh mint leaves

Gin Botanicals

3 tablespoons juniper berries

1 tablespoon coriander

1 teaspoon dried lemon zest

1⁄2 cinnamon stick

1 bay leaf

1 teaspoon chamomile

3 cardamom pods, broken

1⁄4 teaspoon fennel

3 black peppercorns

Place all the ingredients for the Gin Botanicals in a blender, grinder, or food processor. Give it a couple of pulses just to crack the spices, but do not grind them. Transfer to a bowl along with the salt and sugar. Mix well to combine.

Next, lay out a sheet of aluminum foil about three times the size of the fillet. Sprinkle half the curing mixture evenly on the wrap. Place the salmon fillet skin-side down on the cure. Add the mint leaves across the fillet, then evenly cover the exposed flesh with a generous amount of the curing mixture. Wrap the fillet in foil and place on a baking sheet and transfer to the refrigerator. Now place a second baking sheet on top of the fillet and hold it down to apply a light weight to the fillet. (A couple soup cans work great for this.) Keep in the refrigerator at least 24 hours.

Remove the salmon from the refrigerator, rinse, and pat dry. Repeat the process (cure, foil, refrigerate for 24 hours) using new foil. You will repeat the process every 24 hours for 3 to 4 days depending on the size and width of your salmon fillet. The goal here is for the flesh to become slightly translucent and firm. The edges may be a bit saltier than the thicker middle part of the fillet. This is normal.

To serve, slice as thin as possible (works well if the fillet is slightly frozen). Store any unused salmon in the refrigerator (wrapped in plastic wrap) for up to 1 week. You can also portion and freeze the salmon in airtight freezer-safe bags for up to 1 month.