Big Sur Bakery Cookbook - Michelle Wojtowicz [27]
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INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons black peppercorns
3 cups kosher salt
½ cup sugar
1 salmon side, 2 to 3 pounds, skin on, thin bones removed
1 bunch fresh dill
Makes 2 to 3 pounds of cured salmon
Crack the peppercorns by putting them on a flat surface, like a cutting board, and pressing them with the flat bottom of a heavy pan until they split into pieces.
Mix the salt and sugar together and pour half of the mixture into a plastic or ceramic container that’s big enough to hold the salmon lying flat. Place the salmon, skin side down, on top of the sugar/salt mixture, and completely cover it with the dill, peppercorns, and the remaining salt/sugar mixture. Cover the container with plastic wrap, put it in the refrigerator, and leave the salmon to cure for 2 to 3 days.
To check if the salmon is done, press the fillet right in the middle (where it’s thickest) with your index finger: it should feel firm to the touch and it shouldn’t spring back. When it is ready, rinse the salmon under cold running water and pat it dry with paper towels. Slice thin shavings off the salmon by cutting strips at a 20-degree angle with a very sharp knife. Serve right away (we love it with eggs or sandwiches) or reserve for up to a week in the refrigerator.
Photographs by Sara Remington
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Grilled Salmon with Meyer Lemon Dressing
In Big Sur, we go half the year without salmon, so when the salmon fishing season opens in Monterey Bay, we get pretty excited. There are tons of ways to prepare salmon, but this is one of our favorites—it’s simple and fast, with a Meyer lemon dressing that highlights the natural flavor of the fish.
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INGREDIENTS
4 salmon fillets, 6 to 8 ounces each
2 tablespoons rice bran oil or canola oil
3 tablespoons minced flat-leaf parsley
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 cup Meyer lemon dressing
Serves 4
Preheat your grill 30 minutes in advance, burning the wood down until you have a red-hot coal base. (See backmatter for instructions on preparing a wood-fired grill.)
Brush the salmon fillets with the oil on both sides, sprinkle them with the parsley, and season them generously with salt and pepper. Place the salmon on the grill, skin side down. When you can see that the fish has distinct grill marks, flip the fillets over and cook them to your desired doneness—we recommend medium-rare to medium. To determine when the salmon is cooked to medium-rare, cut it in the middle and check to see if the center of the fillet is still tender and glossy.
Arrange the salmon on a platter, drizzle generously with the Meyer lemon dressing.
Photographs by Sara Remington
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Strawberry and Rose Geranium Shake
Rose geranium, which is cultivated for the perfume industry, can also be used to flavor ice cream. It’s one of Michelle’s all-time favorite flavors, especially when paired with strawberries. Phil says it’s too feminine a flavor for him, but we’ve seen many a man sipping on this pink shake at the Bakery. We grow the geranium on the property and use the leaves to flavor the ice cream. This shake has a subtle rose flavor and is divine on a hot summer day.
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INGREDIENTS
FOR THE STRAWBERRY SORBET:
¼ cup sugar
2 pints strawberries, quartered
Few drops lemon juice
FOR THE ROSE GERANIUM ICE CREAM:
4 cups heavy cream
1 cup sugar
15 large pesticide-free rose geranium leaves
8 egg yolks
FOR THE SHAKES:
1 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon sugar
1 pint strawberries, quartered
1 cup milk
Photographs by Sara Remington
Makes 6 shakes
Start with the sorbet: Put the sugar in a small saucepan,