Lox are salmon fillets cured in brine. Often served on a bagel with cream cheese, the word lox derives from the Yiddish word laks and German lachs, both meaning salmon. Curing fish in a saltwater brine is thought to originate with Jews in medieval Germany. Because salmon was expensive, herring was originally used to make lox. Many Jews came to the United States in the late 19th century and brought traditional recipes with them. With the cost of salmon more reasonable in the United States, it was substituted for herring.
Recipe Servings: 6
Prep Time
10 minutes
+ 48 hours resting
+ 48 hours resting
Cook Time
Total Time
48 hours 10 minutes
Vegetarian
Vegan
Gluten Free
Dairy Free
Kosher
Halal
Ingredients
- 4 lb salmon fillet, thawed (should be from the thick belly section of the fish rather than the thin tail end)
- ½ cup sugar
- ⅓ cup kosher salt
- 2 tsp mixed black, white, and red peppercorns, coarsely ground
- Pinch chili pepper flakes (optional)
- 3 juniper berries
- 2 cups fresh dill, finely chopped with stalks removed
Directions
- Rinse salmon and pat dry with paper towel. Remove any bones using tweezers. Cut the salmon fillet into two equal halves.
- Mix the sugar, salt, peppercorns, chili pepper flakes (if using), juniper berries, and dill in a large bowl.
- Place one half of the salmon, skin side down, on a long piece of plastic wrap.
- Cover the flesh of the fillet with the mixture.
- Place the second piece of salmon, flesh side down, on top of the mixture to create a “salmon sandwich.” Wrap it tightly in the plastic wrap.
- Place it in a shallow dish that allows the fish to stand higher than the sides. Put a plate on top of the salmon and place a couple cans of food or weights on top of the plate to apply slight pressure.
- Transfer it to the refrigerator and let it cure for 2–3 days, flipping the “salmon sandwich” every 12–18 hours.
- Remove the plastic wrap, discard any liquid, and rinse the salmon with cold water.
- Slice and serve as desired.
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