As I promised the recipe of classic Russian cured salmon. 🙂
We need around 400-500g salmon without skin, 2 tbsp salt, 1 tbsp sugar and 50ml vodka (the best quality you can afford).
Combine salt and sugar in a small bowl, mix it with a spoon. 🙂
Take any dish (usually I use a food container with lid), sprinkle half of the mixture on the bottom, place salmon fillet over it.
Sprinkle the fish with the remaining mixture, and rub some into sides of the fish.
!!! And above all – pour 50ml vodka over the salmon. It will help to cure the salmon.
Put the lid or plastic wrap on the dish/container and refrigerate.
Turn salmon 2 times a day (if you don’t have time-don’t worry, once a day will be enough also), until it’s cured throughout – about 2 days. After a day of curing you will see some liquid, don’t pour it out!
Take the salmon out of the fridge after 2 days (it’ll be done even in 1 day). Now you can pour the liquid out. Wipe the salmon with paper towel. Slice it thinly.
Enjoy this marvelous Russian-style salmon with blini (thin crepes) and vodka. It’s also perfect on a piece of bread with a cup of tea. Great for breakfast or lunch. 🙂
milkandbun 
This looks awesome! I was introduced to Russian food last weekend and it was delicious. Their love for vodka is certainly strong!
We love vodka, but mostly we don’t drink a lot of it, just have a shot with salmon or blini and on special occasions like holidays and birthdays.
What did you try from Russian cuisine? 🙂
I love salmon and this looks like a fabulous way to treat it. Usually I smoke a skinless fillet in a water smoker and am in heaven. Can’t wait to try this! Hope your Christmas was merry!
Hope you’ll like such salmon too))
I’m Orthodox Christian, Xmas only is coming (7Jan) 🙂
Have a bright New Year!!!
The pictures of the salmon look great, Mila!
This looks wonderful!
Thank you!:) it’s really delicious!
our family had this after Liturgy one Sunday and loved it! Thank you for posting, we can’t wait to try it. May you have a blessed Lent and Pascha!
Thank you so much for such lovely comment!
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I just made this this weekend. I don’t know if this is common but I found the vodka taste to be way too overpowering – it really penetrated the fish. Growing up, I don’t remember my mom ever using vodka to cure the salmon, only salt. Can you advise?
Hello! Sorry to hear about that. Of course you can make it without vodka too. But I always cure it with vodka and never felt its taste or smell; my advise – try next time to use only a splash of vodka/1 tbsp per 400-500g fish. Reasons why I prefer to make it with vodka: the fish fillet becomes more dense-not so soft, also vodka is a natural preservative. So, the choice to use it or not is up to you. But I do hope that you will get a perfect and tasty cured salmon next time.! Don’t give up!
One more tip- you can also add some flavour, like a pinch of dried dill or crushed coriander seeds, or some white pepper.
Cheers
Mila
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