Salmon Crudo with Watermelon Aguachile by Chef Jeff Dailey
Balanced with acidity from the citrus fruits, this dish is bright and refreshing. Pair with a glass of your favorite white wine, like a Sauvignon Blanc with slight hints of citrus.
Try this dish at home with Executive Chef Jeff Dailey’s recipe!
INGREDIENTS
FOR THE SALMON
- 2 lbs Wild Salmon, skinned and cut into blocks
- 1 cup kosher salt
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 lemon, zested
- 1 lime, zested
- 1 orange, zested
- 1 grapefruit, zested
FOR THE WATERMELON AGUACHILE
- 1 small red, seedless watermelon
- 2 tbsp chopped ginger
- 1 lime, zested
- 1 lemon, zested
- 1 orange, zested
- 1 grapefruit, zested
- 1/2 cup cilantro, rough chopped
- 1 tsp coriander, toasted
- 1 tsp cumin, toasted
- 1 tsp black pepper, toasted
- 1 english cucumber, roughly chopped
- 1 jalepeno, seeded and roughly chopped
- kosher salt to taste
INSTRUCTIONS
For the Salmon: Combine salt, sugar and all of the citrus zest together in a bowl and mix until well combined. Coat each piece of salmon in the citrus cure and place on to a rack. Let the salmon cure for 30 minutes in the refrigerator. After 30 minutes wash the cure off the salmon and then place on to paper towels on a baking pan to dry in the refrigerator for at least an hour. Before serving, thinly slice the salmon and plate with the aguachile.
For the Watermelon Aguachile: Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and let marinate in the refrigerator for 1 hour. Puree in the blender until smooth and then strain into another large bowl. Season with salt and reserve.
To plate, take the thinly sliced salmon and place in a small bowl. Pour over the aguachile and feel free to finish with maldon salt, fresh cracked black pepper, and whatever other condiments you might have on hand. I like to add Lao Ga Man chile crisp to add a spicy/umami punch.