Imagine the most amazingly tender cured lox that makes the stuff from the store taste like dog shit in comparison, and you have this. This is an ancient recipe dating back to the Viking era, though this more modern version (Vikings didn’t have brandy or a lot of sugar) comes from d.i.y. cookbook: Can it, Cure it, Churn It, Brew it from America’s Test Kitchen, 2012.

1/3 c. packed light brown sugar
1/4 c. kosher salt
1 lb. skin-on salmon fillet
3 tbsp. brandy
1 c. coarsely chopped fresh dill

Combine sugar and salt.

Place salmon, skin side down, in a 13×9-inch glass baking dish. (I’m not sure how crucial the glass is to this process. Since I don’t currently own one, I’ve substituted a ceramic casserole dish.)

Drizzle with brandy, making sure to cover the entire surface. Rub the salmon evenly with the sugar/salt mixture, pressing firmly to adhere. Cover with dill, again pressing firmly.

Cover the salmon loosely with plastic wrap inside the baking dish, then cover that with a square baking dish or pie plate (or a smaller casserole dish in this case), and weight with several large, heavy cans.

Refrigerate and baste with the released liquid once a day until the salmon feels firm (about 3 days).

Scrape the dill off the salmon (it’s okay if not all the dill will scrape off completely). Remove the fillet from the dish and pat dry with paper towels before slicing. This can be wrapped tightly in plastic and refrigerated for up to one week; it should be left whole and sliced just before serving.