Salmon gravlax canapés with dill and pink peppercorns

Prep time: 90 minutes
Cooking time: 50 minutes
6 portions

Ingredients

Dill and pink-peppercorn gravlax

22 ml (1 ½ TBSP) ground pink peppercorns

15 ml (1 TBSP) ground coriander seeds

30 ml (2 TBSP) coarse sea salt

30 ml (2 TBSP) maple sugar

600 g (1 1/3 lb) skinless salmon filet

125 ml (1/2 cup) fresh dill

Confit lemon zest

3 lemons or 125 ml (1/2 cup) of lemon zest

250 ml (1 cup) water

125 ml (1/2 cup) raw sugar

*Water and sugar can be replaced by 250 ml (1 cup) of clear maple syrup

Homemade mayonnaise

1 egg yolk

15 ml (1 TBSP) Dijon

250 ml (1 cup) canola oil

30 ml (2 TBSP) lemon juice

Freshly ground salt and pepper

Canapés

4 slices of homestyle Grand-Mère bread with stone-ground old-fashioned grains

About ½ recipe for homemade mayonnaise

1 gravlax recipe
About ½ recipe for confit lemon zest

36 small sprigs of fresh dill

Gravlax

Blend together spices, coarse salt, and maple sugar.
Cover salmon filet on both sides with mixture.
Sprinkle salmon with dill and place on a glass plate.
Cover with plastic wrap.
Place a small board on top of salmon followed by two food cans to add weight.
Let marinate 12 to 16 hours (any longer and the salmon will become too salty).
Rinse salmon under cold water, pat dry, and place on a rack.
Place in refrigerator uncovered and allow to dry about 12 hours before slicing and serving.

Lemon zest

Peel lemons with a peeler and finely chop the peel.
In a small saucepan, bring water to a boil, then add chopped peel or lemon zest. Bring to a boil again, drain, and rinse under cold water.
Repeat twice more to remove any bitterness.
Bring water and sugar to a boil.
Add lemon zest and cook for 30 minutes on low heat to make the confit.
Let cool, place in an airtight container, and refrigerate.

Mayonnaise

In a bowl, whisk together egg yolk and Dijon. Slowly add oil while whisking constantly to create an emulsion.
Add lemon juice and season to taste.

Canapé