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1
Place salt, sugar, and peppercorns in a medium bowl and mix until evenly combined.
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2
Rub about 1/4 cup of the mixture onto both sides of the salmon.
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3
Mix together dill, parsley, and lemon zest in a separate bowl until evenly combined.
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4
Place half the herb mixture in the bottom of a 13-by-9-inch glass baking dish or other wide, shallow, nonreactive container, then spread 1/2 of the remaining sugar-salt mixture over the herbs.
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5
Place the salmon on this, and top with the remainder of the sugar-salt mixture and the herbs.
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6
Weight the salmon by nesting another glass dish or heavy pan in the first baking dish or container.
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7
Place 3 to 4 pounds of weight on top of that (large cans work well) and put the dish in the refrigerator.
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8
After 10 to 12 hours, remove the dish from the refrigerator and drain off any liquid.
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9
Scrape the layer of salt and herbs off the top of the salmon and flip the fish over.
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10
Repack the salt and herbs over the top, replace the weights, and store in the fridge for an additional 12 hours.
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11
When the salmon is finished curing, remove it from the pan, rinse under cold water, and pat dry.
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12
Serve thinly sliced with or use in your favorite recipe calling for cured or smoked salmon.
