Appetizers / Snacks
Beet-Cured Salmon Canapés
Finger foods lend an air of fanciness to every celebration, so round out a brunch with the salmon canapés made with extra-special salmon you cure yourself with beets, or the Radish & Avocado Toasts (see recipe variation in Test Kitchen Tips). After all, isn’t Mom worth the little extra effort?
Curing salmon is as simple as can be. Just pack the curing mixture on top of the salmon and let it preserve, or “cook,” for a couple of days in the fridge. The salt and sugar draw moisture from the flesh, causing the salmon’s texture to firm and the proteins to break down (that’s why you can eat it without cooking it with heat).
Other components in the cure, like vodka and citrus zest, infuse the salmon with loads of flavor, while the beets give it amazing color. If your mom isn’t wild about beets, no need to worry — they leave behind their color but little of their subtle flavor.
Ingredients
FOR THE SALMON, COMBINE:
FOR THE CANAPÉS, COMBINE:
Test Kitchen Tip
To ensure the salmon isn’t too dry, cure it 48 hours, no less and no more.
Variation
Radish & Avocado Toasts with Basil Butter Makes 24 servings Total time: 30 minutes
Combine 8 Tbsp. softened unsalted butter, 1 Tbsp. minced fresh basil, and 1 tsp. minced garlic; season with salt and black pepper. Spread 1 tsp. mixture onto 1/2-inch-thick slices toasted baguette. Top toasts with avocado and radish slices.
Instructions
For the salmon, combine beets, sugar, ⅓ cup salt, vodka, 1 tsp. pepper, and zests. Lay salmon, skin side down, on a long piece of plastic wrap and place in a glass dish. Pack beet curing mixture onto salmon. Wrap plastic over salmon, weigh down with a cast-iron skillet, and refrigerate 24 hours.
Discard liquid from dish. Flip salmon (in plastic wrap), weight again, and refrigerate 24 hours more. Rinse salmon under cold water to remove beet cure, then pat dry. Thinly slice salmon against the grain, on the bias. You can serve the salmon as is, with bagels and cream cheese, or on canapés. (Cured salmon can be covered and refrigerated for up to three days.)
For the canapés, combine cream cheese, capers, shallots, and zest; season with salt and pepper. Pipe 1 tsp. mixture onto cucumber slices. Top each with a thin slice of Beet-Cured Salmon wrapped around a basil leaf.
Rinse the beet cure off the salmon so it doesn’t taste too salty or sweet or have beet shreds on it.
For clean slices, start at a slight angle then slice down and forward in one motion before pulling back.
Nutritional Facts
Nutritional Facts
Per serving
Calories: 57
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 4g 6%
Saturated Fat 2g 10%
Cholesterol 15mg 5%
Sodium 90mg 3%
Carbs 1g 0%
Fiber 0g 0%
Protein 4g
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.