Food Network: Salmon Gravlax with Buckwheat Blini

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Salmon Gravlax with Buckwheat Blini
Recipe courtesy Tyler Florence

Ingredients
Salmon Gravlax:
1 lemon, zested
2 cups coarse sea salt
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon whole white peppercorns
1/2 bunch fresh dill
2 pound side salmon, 1-inch thick, pin bones removed, skin on

Buckwheat Blini:
1 package active dry yeast
1 1/2 cups warm milk (108 to 110 degrees F)

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup buckwheat flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 cup melted unsalted butter, plus more for sauteing
3 large eggs, separated

1 recipe Dill Creme Fraiche, recipe follows
1 recipe Radish-lime salsa, recipe follows

Instructions
Remove the zest of the lemon with a vegetable peeler
in fat strips and toss it in a bowl. Add the salt, sugar, white peppercorns, and
dill; rub all the ingredients together with your hands to release the oils in the

zest and dill. Lay the fish out on a large sheet pan or glass baking dish. Pack
the salt mixture on top of and around the salmon. Cover with another sheet pan and
place a brick or heavy can weight on top to press out the moisture from the
salmon. Refrigerate for 24 to 36 hours to cure the fish. Scrape the salt mixture
off the salmon and lightly rinse the fish under cool water; pat dry with paper
towels. The cured salmon will be firm but pliable.

To set up the presentation, lay the salmon on a large wooden cutting board. (The
whole fish looks great as a center piece on the table, so only slice a quarter of
the gravlax at a time.) With a very sharp knife slice the salmon New York
Deli-style; paper-thin on a slight angle. Serve the cured salmon with the blini,
the dill creme fraiche, and radish-lime salsa on the side. This is an interactive
hors d'oeuvre: let your friends attack it, then slice more as needed.

To prepare the blini, in a large bowl, proof the yeast in the warm milk for 10
minutes, stirring to dissolve. In another large bowl, sift the all-purpose flour,
buckwheat flour, salt, and sugar together. Make a well in the center and pour in
the yeast mixture, melted butter, and egg yolks (reserve the whites) and whisk
until smooth. Cover with a towel and let it rise in a warm place for 1 1/2
hours.

Just before you are ready to cook the blini, beat the egg whites until stiff, then
fold them into the batter. Place a griddle or non-stick skillet over medium-high
heat and brush it with a little melted butter. Pour 1 tablespoon of the batter
into the pan, to make pancakes about 3 inches in diameter. Cook for about 30
seconds, then flip them over with a spatula and cook another 30 seconds. Stack the
blini on a platter and wrap them in a cloth napkin to keep them warm.

Dill Creme Fraiche:
1/2 cup creme fraiche
1/2 bunch fresh dill, leaves coarsely chopped
1/2 lemon, juiced
1 teaspoon sea salt

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl until combined.
Yield: 3/4 cup

Radish-Lime Salsa:
1 bunch radishes, coarsely chopped

1 tomato, coarsely chopped
1/2 red onion, coarsely chopped
1/2 bunch fresh cilantro leaves
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1 lime, juiced
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Put all the salsa ingredients in a food processor and
pulse 5 times to combine. Put it in a bowl and serve.

Yield: 2 1/2 cups