TEA CURED FISH
©1999 All Rights Reserved by Norman Van Aken
1 fresh fillet of fish, skinned and boned (weight will vary)
1 Cup Lapsang Souchong black tea leaves, loose
1 Cup sugar
1/2 Cup kosher salt
1/2 Cup freshly toasted and ground black pepper
Lay the fish in a flat non-reactive dish. (glass or ceramic)
Mix the cure spice all together in a bowl.
Spread the mix all over the rounded side of the fish, allowing a very generous covering of the mix. Any leftovers can be saved for another time or use.
Now put some plastic wrap on top of the tea cure and lay another dish on top of the fish. Balance another pound or so of weight on top of that plate and keep in the refrigerator about 3 hours if you are going to go on to cook the fish on a grill or in the oven etc. and overnight if you are going to prepare it in a gravlax form. If you go the gravlax route remove all the liquid when the 24 hours or so are up.
In either case, when you are nearly ready to serve the dish, remove the cure, taking care to wipe off the cure entirely.
For gravlax you thinly slice the fish. For cooking it you portion it into easily handled sections and cook it as the various fish require for a nice texture.
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