Yes, You Can Cure Your Own Salmon at Home

Want to make your own lox at home? It’s actually a lot easier than you’d think. All you need is some vodka, salt, sugar, and spices — oh, and a little time.

Curing salmon means planning ahead. If you want to serve slices of the lox as part of a brunch spread (with bagels and cream cheese) this weekend, you need to start making it today.

All of the hands-on work is done upfront: Simply cover the salmon with a mixture of crushed juniper berries and peppercorns, salt, sugar, lemon zest, fresh rosemary, and vodka; wrap it tightly in plastic wrap; place something heavy (like a baking dish topped with cans of food) on top of it to weigh it down; and then let the fish cure in the fridge for up to 36 hours.

After the curing process, you rinse off the salt mixture, pat it dry, and slice it up for brunch. Easy-peasy!

→ Get the Recipe: Salt Cured Salmon with Vodka, Juniper, Rosemary & Lemon Zest from Feasting at Home