9/18/10 Chef in the Market demo: Doug Lum, Crave Catering

Multi-Grain Blini with House-Cured Salmon Gravlox and Chive Crème Fraiche

Yield: 12 or more appetizer servings

Salmon fillets are cold-cured with salt, sugar, pepper, dill or any of your favorite herbs. It is imperative that the fish be absolutely as fresh as possible. No cooking required. Plan ahead. This will take about 3 days.

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

1 (3- to 4-pound) salmon, weighed after cleaning and beheading, skin on

3 Tablespoons salt

2 Tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 good-size bunch dill, roughly chopped, stems and all

1 package of Multi-Grain Pancake Mix from Gee Creek Farms, prepared according to package directions

1 cup Crème Fraiche from Jacob’s Creamery

• Fillet the salmon or have the fishmonger fillet it for you; the fish need not be scaled
• Lay both halves, skin side down, on a plate.
• Sprinkle with the salt, sugar, and pepper and spread the dill over them
• Sandwich the fillets together, tail to tail, then wrap tightly in plastic wrap
• Cover the sandwich with another plate and something that weighs about a pound — an unopened can of coffee or beans, for example
• Refrigerate
• Open the package every 12 to 24 hours and baste, inside and out, with the accumulated juices
• On the second or third day, when the flesh has lost its translucence, slice thinly as you would smoked salmon — on the bias and without the skin
• serve on the multi-grain blini topped with chive crème fraiche

Directions for Chive Crème Fraiche:

Chop chives and fold into crème fraiche