Hi!
Time to teach you how to make one of my favorite things in the world, LOX.
I spent the majority of my life thinking all lox=smoked salmon and I thought it was always so gross. I’ve come around to smokey flavors (except for smoked cheese, gross!) but once I tried salmon lox that was just cured and not smoked my world was changed forever.
Smoked salmon=salmon that is cured and then smoked, and Lox=salmon that is cured
Maju taught me how to make it, and now I get to teach you!
One of my favorite things ever is a everything bagel with lox and scallion cream cheese. This is one I had from Goldbergs Bagels in the Hamptons. Take me back!!
Making your own lox is really simple. First start with a piece of raw salmon. The higher quality the better. Any fresh salmon should work, I just wouldn’t recommend using frozen salmon for this.
Place the filet in a shallow baking dish. The fully cover with a mixture of fresh dill, lemon zest, white pepper, black pepper, salt and sugar.
Next step is to cover the whole dish in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for 3 days.
Curing the salmon essentially means that the salmon slowly absorbs the salt and sugar mixture which cooks the salmon slightly.
After 3 days you want to remove the salmon from the curing mixture, and rinse off the salmon. Pat the salmon dry and then wrap in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for one more day.
This is after 3 days in the refrigerator. You can see how much of the curing mixture the salmon absorbs. This is what you want to happen!
After another day in the refrigerator it’s time to enjoy! The trickiest part can be slicing the lox. Here is a good video to watch to help you! Not going to lie, I had Maju do that part lol
The sliced lox will keep in the refrigerator for about 2 weeks. Although I doubt it will last you that long! These lox are super fresh, packed with dill and lemon flavor. My favorite way to enjoy them is on a slice of sourdough with cream cheese, tomato, onion, and black pepper. So simple, and SO GOOD.
Homemade lox is such a treat that is actually so simple to do.
This would be the perfect treat to make for your Mom on Mothers Day. Just saying 🙂
Lox with Dill and Lemon
Serves about 6 people
Ingredients:
- 1 2lb salmon filet. The best quality you can find.
- 1.5 cups of granulated sugar
- 2 cups of kosher salt
- 3 cups of fresh dill
- Zest of 3 lemons
- 2 tbsp ground white pepper
- 1 tbsp ground black pepper
Instructions:
- Place salmon filet in a shallow dish. Pat dry.
- Combine salt, sugar, dill, lemon zest, white pepper and black pepper in a bowl. Place over salmon so the salmon filet is fully covered.
- Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 3 days.
- On the 3rd day, remove salmon from curing mixture, rinse with cold water, and pat salmon dry.
- Wrap the salmon in plastic wrap and refrigerate for one more day. Slice thin and serve with whatever garnishes you like!
This is from a time I added avocado and everything bagel seasoning. It was a good move.
We have made this a couple times because the first time we ate the lox so quickly hah Homemade lox tastes so much better than lox you buy at the store because they are so much more fresh and flavorful.
Give making lox a try! It’s a fun, low key, delicious project!
xx Chelcie
