| Before firing up the BBQ smoker, many | | | | about what tastes good to you. |
| chefs will either cure or brine the fish | | | | This recipe is a great tasty alternative |
| or meat as a way of adding extra flavor. | | | | to smoked salmon and it's also really |
| Curing and brining however have been | | | | easy to do, certainly no need for a |
| traditional methods of preserving food | | | | smoker. All that's needed is a polythene |
| for donkeys years and in today's | | | | bag, some salt, some treacle (or |
| refrigerated society the techniques and | | | | molasses) and a bit of time. It takes |
| skills have been on the wane. That was | | | | about a week to cure and I like to start |
| of course until outdoor cooking became | | | | out one Saturday so that it's ready for |
| such a popular recreation. So rather | | | | the next weekend. |
| than becoming obsolete they have started | | | | Ingredients:- |
| to make a comeback. | | | | · 1 large salmon filet (skinned) |
| My research into curing started when I | | | | · 4 tablespoons treacle or |
| started writing for and as my research | | | | molasses |
| evolved, so did my interest. Even to the | | | | · 1 tablespoon salt |
| point where I started to experiment with | | | | Method:- |
| curing and brining simply as a way to | | | | Place the salmon in the polythene bag |
| preserve food and forget about the | | | | and tip in the salt and treacle / |
| smoker. | | | | molasses. Seal the bag and give the |
| The science behind curing is that the | | | | ingredients a good "mulch" around to |
| salt slowly sucks the moisture out of | | | | make sure that the salmon is covered in |
| the food, effectively acting as a | | | | the salt / treacle mix. Place the mix in |
| desiccant and drying it out. Bacteria | | | | the refrigerator and leave for a week. |
| that normally would grow on the food are | | | | When the week is up, remove the salmon |
| unable to do so because the substrate | | | | from the bag and give it a rinse under |
| doesn't contain the one essential | | | | the tap. Slap it on a board and slice |
| ingredient to help it survive - water. | | | | really thinly. Please note that in order |
| So in essence the longer something is | | | | to slice thinly you need a very sharp |
| left to cure, the less susceptible it is | | | | knife - remember the sushi chef. |
| to bacteria and therefore the safer it | | | | I like to serve it spiralled inside |
| is to eat. This is the principle for | | | | canapé cases with a little |
| cured ham or indeed any dried meat. | | | | crème fraiche blob on top, you |
| The curing process today is essentially | | | | can also try it on a small circular |
| about salt for the desiccant and sugar | | | | cracker. It makes for a really tasty |
| for the flavouring. In the recipe below | | | | munchie to open up any barbecue cookout. |
| I've used treacle as a sugar substitute | | | | But don't feel you have to wait for a |
| - you can also use molasses. The | | | | barbecue, if it's raining outside that |
| flavours are slightly different and I | | | | what better way to spend a Saturday |
| would argue that the molasses is | | | | afternoon than preparing a treacle cured |
| slightly more subtle but as ever, it's | | | | salmon for next weekend? |