Tequila Cured Salmon Bruschetta Recipe

Here’s an easy recipe that’s healthy, tasty and sounds very impressive – but that’s actually very easy to make at home.

Curing your own salmon sounds pretty hard, but if you can rub a little salt on a piece of fish and have the patience to wait a day or two before digging in – you’re ready to make homemade lox!

If you don’t want to make your own cured salmon for this recipe, you can substitute regular lox – it will still taste great!

Tequila Cured Salmon

• 1 salmon fillet 2-3 pounds (skin on)
  
• 1 Tbls cracked black pepper
• I cup of fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
• 1 ounce of tequila
• ½ cup of salt
• 1/3 cup of sugar

1. Mix together the salt, sugar and pepper.
2. Place the salmon in a lidded container that’s roughly the size of the fillet, and then spread the salt/sugar mixture all over the fish, on both sides.
3. Pour the tequila over the fish and then top with the chopped herbs
4. Let the fish cure in the fridge, flipping over once a day
5. A fillet that is 1 inch in height at its thickest part will take 2 days to cure – a fillet that is 1 and ½ inches in height will take 3 days to cure
6. When the fish has finished curing, rinse it well and then slice as thinly as possible for service.

Now that you’ve got it…whaddya’ do with it?!?!

Tequila Cured Salmon Bruschetta

Here’s a little south of the border take on cured salmon that’s a fresh and light and fun.

Tequila Salmon Bruschetta (For one – multiply as needed)

• 1 flour tortilla
• 3 plum tomatoes
• 2 or 3 Thai bird chilies, cut in half, or about ½ a Serrano (or use any spicy fresh chili you have)
• A little olive oil
• A few thin slices of onion
• ¼ cup or so of fresh cilantro
• Pepper
• 1/4 cup of heavy cream
• 2 ounces of lox (tequila cured salmon)

1. Heat a heavy fry pan over medium, and add in the tomatoes, turning them occasionally, until they are blackened all over and softened throughout. Do not use any oil here. This is dry roasting, which is a common technique in Mexican cooking.
2. Take them off the heat and leave them to cool for a minute.
3. Combine the cream and the chilies and bring this mixture to a boil in a small sauce pan. You want to thicken it slightly and infuse the cream with the heat of the chili. Let it simmer until reduced by half.
4. Clean out your tomato fry pan, and heat it over medium again. When it is hot, add in the tortilla (no oil) and let it dry-fry until it is toasted on both sides and crisped.
5. Peal the tomatoes and then roughly chop the flesh, and transfer to a small bowl. Add in a tsp or so of extra virgin olive oil and a scant pinch of salt.
6. To assemble the bruschetta, cut the tortilla into wedges. On top of the wedges, spoon on the tomato and on the tomato lay on the onion slices and fresh cilantro – spoon the chili cream on this (leave the chilies in the pan) and then top it all with thin slices of the Tequila cured salmon. Give it a little fresh black pepper on the top and then serve!