VODKA, CARAWAY AND DILL LOX

This make-ahead holiday crowd-pleaser takes only 15 minutes to prep, but it needs 24-36 hours to cure, so plan ahead. 1 cup kosher salt

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup orange zest (from 1

to 2 oranges)

1/4 cup chopped fresh dill 2 tablespoons caraway

seeds

1 tablespoon whole black

peppercorns

1 salmon fillet, skin-on, about 4 pounds 1/4 cup vodka

Combine the salt, sugar, zest, dill, caraway seeds and peppercorns in a medium bowl. Place a piece of foil down, big enough to wrap around the entire fillet. Top with a piece of parchment paper and then a piece of plastic wrap. Sprinkle a third of the dry cure in the middle to create a bed for the fish. Place the salmon skin side down on the bed. Pour the rest of the dry cure over the fish to fully submerge and cover it. It’ll look like a lot, because it is and it’s supposed to. Pour the vodka evenly over the entire thing. (It all swims more in the rub than in the booze.) Wrap the salmon tightly in each layer and transfer to a baking dish (or something else that will catch juice). Place a weight on the wrapped fish and put the entire situation in the fridge.

Refrigerate overnight and flip after 12 hours. After another 12 hours, give it a check. Remove the fish from the fridge, open it up, and poke it. It’s supposed to be firm around the edges but should still bounce back so there’s a thin crust around the fish and it isn’t dry all the way through. When this consistency has been achieved (usually in 24 to 36 hours, depending on how thick the fillet is and how much weight you have on it), rinse it off, pat dry, and thinly slice at an angle.

Serves 12.

Per serving: 178 calories (percent of calories from fat, 28), 30 grams protein, trace carbohydrates, trace fiber, 5 grams fat (1 gram saturated), 1,758 milligrams sodium, trace dietary fiber.

“One Dish — Four Seasons: Food, Wine, and Sound — All Year Round” by Jordan Zucker, Home Sauce Publications, 2019