Sjolund Family Traditional Pickled Salmon

This “tradition” was developed before electricity, before refrigeration, at a time when the food needed to be preserved in a manner that would provide sustenance in the future when the gathering time was well over.  It requires a lot of planning to enjoy because the fish needs to cure in rock salt for several months before the pickling process. My mother, Ivy Sjolund/Crowther, is Scandinavian and a fisher person to the core, the rhythm of the sea is in her blood and the rhythm of the great Salmon fish as well, she passed these genes on to her grandson and one of her great grandsons, missing me completely!  She spent many an hour on the sea in a small boat littered with her catch of the day, sometimes coming home with King Salmon as big as she was so the raw material was usually at hand when I was living at home.  Her grandson/my son Brian, is the one who carries on this tradition best!

Brian Dahl’s Cured, Pickled Salmon

CURING

Use a large, freshly caught salmon with high fat content, ideally 20 lbs. or bigger.

1. Fillet Salmon
2. Put 3 inches of rock salt in the bottom of a ceramic crock jar or large glass container
3. Put a single layer of Salmon, skin side down, on salt in container
4. Cover fillets with 1 inch of rock salt
5. Repeat layering until crock is full, ending with a layer of salt
6. Let cure for 3 months in a relatively dark cool place

Fish cured this way will last an incredibly long time.  I have used it a year later and it is fine.

PICKLING

1. Remove fish from salt, cut away skin and if you do not like the grey stronger tasting fat, cut it away as well
2. Soak in water 20 minutes, change water and repeat 2 more times (3 total)
3. Cut fillets into 1/4 inch or thinner slices
4. Dry white wine and white vinegar.  Mix this into approximately a 75% wine, 25% vinegar mix
5. Slice some red onions
6. Pickling spices
7. Layer onions, Salmon, and spices in quart jars.  Cover with wine, vinegar mix til jar is full
8. Let sit overnight (if you can) before eating.  This will need to be refrigerated and will last approximately a week.  If you want it to last longer, decrease wine and increase vinegar considerably.

Sjolund/Crowther Family’s Secret Noyo River Barbecue Sauce

Melt:

1 cup butter

Add:

1/3 cup lemon juice
1 1/2 tsp. soy sauce
1 1/2 tsp. worchershire sauce
2 T. fresh chopped parsley
1 T. basil
1 tsp. oregano
1 T. garlic
Salt and pepper

This is just great on anything but I like it best on fish done on the grill in the family tradition.  The fish was usually placed skin side down on foil with the sides of the foil made high, baste liberally.

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