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2 lbs. salmon fillets, skin on
Remove any bones that might still be in the salmon fillets.
In a bowl, mix the caraway seeds, salt, pepper, sugar, and dill.
Place one fillet, skin down, in a large glass or enamel pan. Cover with the spice mixture. Pour the vodka or gin on top of the spices, then place the second fillet on top of the first, in the opposite direction (head to tail).
Cover the entire pan tightly with plastic wrap. Place a heavy object, such as a book or a brick (I use a heavy glass jar full of dried beans), into a smaller pan. Lay the smaller pan on top of the plastic-wrap-covered fish to weigh it down, and place both pans in the refrigerator.
Every 12 hours or so, take off the smaller pan and weight, remove the plastic wrap, turn the fish over, and rewrap it tightly. (Martha says to use new plastic wrap each time, but I don't.) Replace the weighted pan on top of the fish and put the whole thing back in the refrigerator. Refrigerate for at least 3 days (4 is better), turning the fish every 12 hours.
After 3 or 4 days, remove fish from refrigerator, unwrap, and transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet (Martha's version) or a cutting board (mine). Remove the top fillet, and scrape the spice mixture from the surface of both fillets.
To serve, slice each fillet into thin slices with the knife at a 45° angle to the surface the fish is on.
Posted by Patrick Gambill-Read
Nutritional Info Per Serving: N/A
1/4 cup (or thereabouts) caraway seeds (all measurements from here on out are approximate)
1/2 cup kosher salt
2 tablespoons pepper (more or less to taste)
1/4 cup sugar
2 to 3 small or one really big bunch fresh dill
1/4 cup KLP vodka or KLP gin