Recipe Overview
This Grappa-Cured Salmon is a professional Tuscan-style cured fish preparation. The salmon is perfumed with citrus peel, fennel tops, bay leaves, black peppercorns, garlic, onion, and a splash of Italian grappa, then pressed, cured, rinsed, dried, and sliced thin for antipasti, seafood salads, crudo plates, blinis, and elegant tasting menus.
Chef Notes
Keep the salmon very cold throughout the process. After the first cure, rinse gently and dry completely. The second 24-hour uncovered refrigeration step improves texture, sliceability, and clean presentation.
Connected Experience
This preparation can be linked to the cured salmon salad page, seafood antipasti, brunch menus, crudo tastings, and wine-paired appetizer courses in the Menu Builder system.
Ingredients
Base recipe = 4 lb salmon.
- 4 lb salmon sides, skin-on
- 2 lb coarse sea salt
- 3.5 lb granulated sugar
- 1 lb cane sugar or raw turbinado sugar
- 4 celery stalks, chopped
- 4 oz bay leaves
- 2 orange peels, no pith
- 2 large lemon peels, no pith
- 6 oz black peppercorns, lightly crushed
- 1 fennel top or small bunch fennel fronds, chopped
- 6 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 medium onion, rough chopped
- 1 shot Italian grappa
- Optional: a few drops of grappa to finish before slicing
Preparation
- Fillet the salmon sides and keep the skin on. Chill the salmon well before curing.
- Make a quick pre-salt: pack the sides in coarse sea salt and cover with ice for 2 hours.
- Rinse the salmon under cold water and pat completely dry.
- Mix the cure: sea salt, granulated sugar, cane sugar, celery, fennel tops, garlic, onion, black peppercorns, bay leaves, orange peel, lemon peel, and grappa.
- Line a sheet pan with parchment. Spread a bed of cure, lay the salmon skin-side down, and cover fully with the remaining cure.
- Wrap tightly with foil, place another pan on top, weigh it down, and refrigerate for 24 hours.
- Unwrap, gently rinse off the cure, and pat dry.
- Place the salmon on a clean rack or pan, cover loosely, and dry in the refrigerator for another 24 hours.
- Slice thinly on a bias. Optional: finish with a few drops of grappa just before serving.
Service Suggestions
- Serve thinly sliced with lemon, capers, dill, fennel, and crostini.
- Use for cured salmon salad, blinis, brunch plates, crudo boards, or tasting menus.
- Pair with cucumber, mascarpone, crème fraîche, or citrus vinaigrette.
Dietary / HACCP Notes
- Seafood preparation; keep refrigerated throughout curing and service.
- Use sushi-grade or properly handled salmon from a trusted source.
- Slice only what is needed for service and keep remaining salmon cold.
Nutrition (per appetizer portion, estimate)
| Calories | 145 kcal |
| Protein | 18 g |
| Carbohydrates | 2 g |
| Fat | 7 g |
| Fiber | 0 g |
| Cholesterol | 38 mg |
| Sodium | 640 mg |