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Lay out one large piece of plastic wrap and lay salmon filet on it.
Sprinkle each side of the filet with the salt and sugar mixture.
Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and then wrap in aluminum foil.
Put on a flat plate and refrigerate overnight. (The sugar/salt mixture will extract water from the salmon, so be sure to put it on a large plate to catch the juices.)
The next day:
Remove the salmon from the refrigerator and unwrap it. (The salmon will be very leathery and hard.)
Shake the coarse salt that didn't dissolve overnight off both sides of the salmon.
Finely chop a handful of fresh mint leaves and the zest of one large lemon. Mix together and sprinkle on both sides of the salmon and then sprinkle each side of salmon with 1 tsp brandy.
Rewrap the salmon filet and put on a baking sheet or other flat-bottomed container.
Put a very heavy weight on top of the well-wrapped salmon.
Put the weighted salmon back in the refrigerator and let cure until one night.
The day after:
Scrub skin off small carrots and cook in a little water, butter and sugar.
Let carrots cook uncovered so the water evaporates and the carrots begin to glaze from the remaining butter and sugar.
Spring Variation :
Peel, seed and chop 3 fresh tomatoes.
Cook lightly in a light olive oil.
Unwrap salmon and slice about ½ the filet into very thin slices.
Cook very thin pasta (preferably home made).
Drain pasta and return it to cooking pot and add 2-3 TBS chopped fresh dill and 1 cup milk (cream is even better if you dare!).
Heat, stirring frequently until milk (cream) starts to thicken.
Off heat, stir carrots into the pasta.
Put pasta in your bouillabaisse bowl and arrange cured salmon on top.
Notes: Spring Variation:
If you make this dish in the spring, you can also add lightly steamed asparagus tips or baby green beans that are rolled in a lightly garlic flavored olive oil.
Serving:
Don't let the salmon "cook" on the hot pasta.
The salmon is raw and cured.
It will begin to cook a bit from the heat of the pasta underneath.
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