Gordon Ramsay’s beetroot cured salmon is a salmon side cured with grated beetroot, coriander seeds, orange zest, salt, and sugar. It cures in 8 hours, gets sliced thin, and serves 8 to 10 with rye toast.
The recipe is from Gordon’s Ultimate Home Cooking, where he says he wanted “to put the excitement back into” salmon. In the video he explains coriander seeds are citrusy and “go brilliantly well with salmon,” which is why he skips the usual dill.
The technique that matters is the weight. You pack the cure over the salmon, cover it, then sit a heavy pan or tins on top. The weight presses moisture out and speeds the cure, so it is ready overnight instead of over three days.
Cooked this recipe? Send a photo or tell me what you changed at fans@gordonramsayrecipes.uk and I’ll share your experience live on this page.
Gordon Ramsay Beetroot Cured Salmon
Course: Appetizer, StarterCuisine: BritishDifficulty: Easy8
servings20
minutes8
minutes146
kcal8 hr 20 min
A coriander and orange cure from Gordon’s Ultimate Home Cooking that stains the salmon deep ruby red overnight. Served with an apple and celeriac remoulade and rye toast. Cures in 8 hours, no cooking, about 146 kcal per serving.
Ingredients
- For the salmon:
800g (1 lb 12 oz) middle piece of salmon side, scaled but skin on
Rye bread, toasted, to serve
- For the cure:
2 tbsp coriander seeds
250g (9 oz) raw beetroot, peeled and grated
Zest of 2 oranges
100g (3 and a half oz) fine sea salt
100g (3 and a half oz) caster sugar
Freshly ground black pepper
- For the apple and celeriac salad:
Juice of 1 lemon
1 large firm celeriac, peeled
2-3 Granny Smith apples, quartered and cored
300ml (10 fl oz) sour cream
2 tbsp good-quality mayonnaise
Small bunch of parsley, leaves only, finely chopped
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp poppy seeds, to garnish
Directions
- Line and trim: Line a baking dish large enough to fit the salmon with cling film. Trim the sides of the salmon to neaten the edges, then place it in the dish skin side down.
- Make the cure: Break up the coriander seeds using a mortar and pestle. Put them in a bowl with the grated beetroot, orange zest, sea salt, sugar, and a couple of twists of black pepper. Mix well.
- Pack the salmon: Spread the cure over the salmon so the flesh is completely covered. Cover with cling film and sit another dish directly on top. Weigh it down with tins or a heavy pan. Refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight.
- Make the salad: Put the lemon juice in a large bowl. Slice the celeriac and apple into matchsticks and toss in the lemon juice straight away to stop them browning.
- Dress the salad: Mix the sour cream, mayonnaise, and parsley in a separate bowl. Season with salt and pepper, then stir into the celeriac. Taste and adjust.
- Rinse and slice: Remove the salmon from the cure and wipe off the excess. Give it a quick rinse in cold water and pat dry. Place skin side down and slice the flesh thinly at an angle, flicking your knife out when you reach the skin.
- Serve: Garnish the salad with poppy seeds. Serve alongside the sliced salmon with toasted rye bread.
Notes
- Gordon cuts his into thin strips rather than wide smoked-salmon slices, which is easier and shows off the ruby colour. Most of the salt and sugar washes off in the rinse, so the fish is not overly salty.
FAQs
What is the difference between cured salmon and smoked salmon?
Both start raw, but the methods are different. Smoked salmon is cured then cold-smoked over wood, which adds a smoky flavour. Cured salmon, sometimes called gravlax, is only cured in salt, sugar, and aromatics, never smoked.
This recipe is purely cured. The salt and sugar draw out moisture and firm the flesh while the beetroot, coriander, and orange flavour it. If you would rather eat your salmon hot, the crispy skin salmon is a cooked fillet instead. For another raw fish starter, the avocado tuna tartare uses sushi-grade tuna with soy and lime instead of a cure.
Why does Gordon use coriander seeds and orange instead of dill?
Most cured salmon recipes reach for dill, but in the video Gordon grinds coriander seeds because they are citrusy with an orangey note that suits salmon. He doubles down on that citrus with the zest of two oranges.
The beetroot brings an earthy, rooty sweetness and stains the flesh deep red as it cures. Together the coriander, orange, and beetroot give a fresher, more aromatic result than the classic dill and vodka version. You can watch his beetroot cured salmon method to see the colour develop.
How long does beetroot cured salmon take to cure?
Just 8 hours, or overnight if it suits you better. That is much faster than the two or three days many gravlax recipes ask for, and the difference is the weight on top.
Pressing the salmon with a heavy pan or tins forces the cure into the flesh and pushes moisture out quickly. Any longer than overnight and the fish starts to get too firm and salty, so do not leave it for days.
Do I need to use the whole side of salmon?
No. For a big party of 10 to 20, cure a whole filleted, pin-boned side. For 6 to 10 guests, use the middle piece, which Gordon calls the best of the best, like the centre of a fillet steak.
Ask your fishmonger to scale and pin-bone it for you. Keep the skin on during curing, as it holds the fillet together and you slice the flesh away from it at the end.
What do you serve with beetroot cured salmon?
In the book Gordon pairs it with an apple and celeriac remoulade. The French-style salad uses matchsticks of Granny Smith apple to counter the sharp lemon, with toasted rye bread to round it off.
For a party platter, melba toast or any good bread works, with a smear of creme fraiche. The yoghurt-dressed prawn salad makes a good second starter, or the smoked haddock kedgeree if you want a warm fish dish alongside. For a hot salmon main after the cured starter, salmon steaks with shrimp butter uses the same fish in a completely different way.
Can you freeze beetroot cured salmon?
Yes, and it freezes very well, unlike cooked salmon. Slice the cured fish and lay the slices on a tray. Freeze until solid, then transfer to a bag for up to a couple of months and thaw in the fridge before serving.
In the fridge, the rinsed and dried fillet keeps wrapped for several days. It is a true make-ahead dish, which is why Gordon calls it the secret to a good party. Serve any leftovers cold, never heated, or you lose the silky texture.
For the rest of the spread, the salmon recipe collection flags which dishes are make-ahead too.
