Recipe by Chef Tom Rummel
This is a wonderfully flavoured, albeit a bit unusual, cured salmon with an unusual look to it.
Fantastic sliced and served with some simple accoutrements, or on a toasted bagel with some thinly shaved red onion and cream cheese.
Purple Brine:
3 heads red cabbage
3 large red onion
12 Tbsp Kosher Salt
8 Tbsp Sugar
1 – 48 oz. bottle POM juice
1 1/2 qt water
Juice the cabbage and the red onion through a juice extractor. Heat the water, salt and sugar until boiling, then turn off. When cooled, combine with remaining ingredients.
To cure the lox:
Cut 1 side of salmon (about 4 lbs per side) in half, and float in the brine, with the skin still on the fish. The skin side will be floating near the top surface of the brine, and the flesh of them salmon should be floating above and not touching the bottom of the storage pan that you’re using. You’ll want to find a container deep enough and long enough for the salmon to not be touching the sides of the pan or the bottom. I used a deep Half Hotel pan, (12x10x6)
Cover and refrigerate for 72 hours.
Remove from Brine after 72 hours, rinse gently and pat dry with a towel.
Cured fish will be good for up to 7 days, stored in the refrigerator.