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1
You need a dish wide enough to hold your salmon side comfortably, as well as a smaller dish to weigh it down, with a brick, or cans, anything heavy, on top of that.
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2
Rinse and pat dry your salmon. Remove pin bones if there are any.
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3
Combine the dill, lemon zest, lemon juice and gin.
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4
Pour half this mixture into the dish that will hold the fish.
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5
Sprinkle half the peppercorns, salt and sugar over the base of the dish.
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6
Lay your salmon, skin side down, in the dish.
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7
Add the remaining ingredients over the side facing up.
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8
Lay a sheet of clingfilm (or greaseproof paper if you are worried about what's in the plastic) over the salmon.
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9
Place a nesting dish or any dish that can cover the length of the salmon, on top. Weigh this down with cans, side by side, or a brick, or baking beans. You get the idea.
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10
Place this in the fridge for 6 hours minimum, 12 hours maximum.
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11
Flip the fish, so that the orange side is facing down. Sometimes I taste the juice at this point and and a little more seasoning.
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12
Put it back in the fridge for another 6-12 hours.
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13
Remove from fridge and pat dry.
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14
With a very sharp knife, with fish placed skin side down, separate skin from meat by sliding the blade between the two.
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15
Carve into medium-thin slices.
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16
Serve with good seven grain style bread and excellent butter. Lemon wedges and more black pepper on the side don't hurt.
