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Food

Salmon and Labneh Tartines Recipe

Think of it as a gourmet spin on the classic lox and bagel with cream cheese.
Salmon and Labneh Tartines Recipe
Photo by Farideh Sadeghin

Servings: 6 to 8
Prep time: 40 minutes
Total time: 3 days

Ingredients

for the cured salmon:
½ filet|3 to 4 pounds|1360 to 1815 grams of salmon, skin off and blood line removed by your fishmonger
2 cups kosher salt
2 cups granulated sugar
1 lime, zested
1 lemon, zested
1 grapefruit, zested
1 fennel top, picked
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon allspice
3 whole cloves
1 tablespoon fennel seeds
1 tablespoon mustard seeds
1 tablespoon black peppercorns

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for the squid ink bread:
3 ½ teaspoons active dry yeast
¼ cup|60 ml whole milk
1 cup|237 ml warm water (100-120°F)
1 tablespoon of squid ink (optional)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1 pound|454 grams all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
egg wash, to brush tops of bread
furikake seasoning, to garnish

for the labneh schmear:
1 cup labneh (strained Greek yogurt)
4 roasted garlic cloves, smashed with back of knife and then pureed
2 tablespoons whole grain mustard
1 lemon, zested and juiced
2 teaspoons diced chives
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

to assemble the tartine:
fresh dill, for garnish (optional)
chopped chives, for garnish (optional)
mini pickles, for garnish (optional)

Directions

  1. First, cure the salmon: In a bowl, combine the salt, sugar, zests, herbs, and spices and whisk until incorporated. In a non-reactive container, such as glass, lay down a layer of curing mixture. Place the salmon on top of the curing mixture, then cover the salmon with remaining curing mixture. Plastic wrap the container and refrigerate 3 days, turning the fish after the second day. After 3 days, rinse the salmon. Dry it off and it is ready to be served.
  2. To make the squid-ink bread, heat the oven to 375°F. Combine warm water with yeast, milk, butter, sugar, and squid ink into mixing bowl fitted for a KitchenAid or similar mixer. Let the mixture stand for 5 minutes—it should be bubbly and frothy. Sift the flour and salt into a mixing bowl. With a dough hook attachment fitted onto the mixer, and the liquids in the mixing bowl, add in flour in three intervals. Let the machine knead the dough for 3 minutes. (You can also knead the dough by hand for 10 minutes if you do not have a mixer.) Cover the mixing bowl with plastic wrap, then let the dough rise until doubled. When risen, punch down dough and portion into 3-ounce|85-gram balls. Roll out balls into loaf shapes, and place onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Brush tops with egg wash and sprinkle with furikake. Let them double in size again and then bake for 20 minutes. Let them cool, slice in half, and toast and enjoy!
  3. To make the schmear, combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and whisk until incorporated.
  4. To assemble the tartine, slice mini-baguettes in half and toast if desired. Spread generously with the labneh schmear. Thinly slice the cured salmon against the grain and arrange several slices on top of schmear. Garnish with fresh dill, chives, mini pickles, or whatever you have on hand.

From How-To: Make Salmon Tartine with David Kuo

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