Graved Salmon with Black Currants and Blinis

Ingredients

• 1 kg salmon fillet (skinless, whole piece)
• 300 g frozen black currants (thawed)
• 200 g salt (+ 2 pinches)
• 200 g curing salt (from butcher)
• 205 g brown sugar
• 1 tbsp Olive Oil
• 15 g fresh yeast
• 200 ml lukewarm milk (3.5% fat)
• 3 eggs
• 70 g liquid butter
• 125 g Whole wheat flour
• 125 g buckwheat flour

Instructions

1. 1.

   Rinse the salmon and pat dry. Squeeze the currants. Place the salmon in a baking dish and spread the berries on top. Mix both salts with 200 g sugar, brush the salmon with this mixture, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 12 hours. Flip the salmon and let it rest another 12 hours.

2. 2.

   After 24 hours, remove the salt-sugar mix and currants from the salmon, pat dry, and rub with oil to offset fat loss from salting. Wrap in butter paper and let sit for an additional hour.

3. 3.

   Meanwhile, crumble yeast into the remaining sugar dissolved in milk. Separate eggs; whisk two yolks (use the other yolk elsewhere). Add 50 g butter, a pinch of salt, the yeast-milk mixture, and both flours, mixing well. Add enough water to achieve a thick batter. Let the dough rise for about an hour.

4. 4.

   Beat egg whites with a pinch of salt until stiff peaks form. Fold the beaten whites into the dough. Bake eight blinis in turn: heat 1 tsp butter in a pan, drop small spoonfuls of batter, and cook each side for 3–4 minutes over medium heat until golden brown. Use remaining dough similarly.

5. 5.

   Slice the salmon into thin strips and arrange on top of the blinis.