Beet-cured salmon

I'm on a new project in Denver, and one of the team members shared what sounded like an interesting cook book that I thought I would try.  This is the first of many recipes that look absolutely delicious, and are a refreshing change of pace from the usual heavy sauces and heavily spiced foods I typically prepare.  The cookbook is POLPO: A Venetian Cookbook (of Sorts).

Beet-Cured Salmon - the finished product

First of all a warning - this takes two to three days to make.  I cured mine for a week before taking it out to eat.  I also made half a recipe as I didn't think two people could eat it fast enough - turns out I was wrong.
There are two parts to the recipe - the salmon, and the horseradish sauce:

Beet-cured Salmon

Ingredients

• 600g salmon fillet - get really really fresh, free caught (not farmed) salmon
• 250g raw beetroot 
• 85g flaky sea salt
• 85g caster sugar (it's a really fine grade of sugar cane sugar used in pastries typically)
• 1 bunch of dill, roughly chopped (I used two)
• Zest of two oranges
• 4-6 black peppercorns
• 50ml vodka

Procedure

Remove the skin, bloodline and belly fat from the salmon being careful not to take any flesh.  Peel and grate the beetroot using the large side of a cheese grater (I used the medium).  Mix all the ingredients together except for the salmon.

Find a non-metallic container just big enough for the fish (do yourself a favor and make it a glass container as the plastic ones aren't good for you, especially when you're putting caustic stuff in it). Put a layer of the beetroot mixture on the bottom, reserving enough to cover the salmon. Place the salmon on top of the bed of beetroot mixture and cover with the other half.  Cover and refrigerate for 1 - 2 days (I did 5 days as I was on the road).

After 1 -  2  days the salmon will be a deep dark red, and somewhat leathery.  Take it out of the bath, rinse clean and pat dry with a paper towel.  Wrap in plastic wrap until you want some.

To serve, slice as thin as possible (no, thinner - and get a really really sharp knife please) and pair it with the horseradish sauce below.

You can keep it refrigerated for a while (I'm on two weeks and it's holding up fine), cutting off a few slices.

Horseradish Sauce

This is ridiculously easy to make, but be prepared to have your eyes and nose water as you grate the horseradish - easily 2-3 times worse than cutting onions.

Ingredients

• 1 cup of creme fraiche (see below)
• 3 tablespoons fresh grated horseradish (or more if you like it hot)
• 2 tablespoons of Dijon mustard (Grey Poupon of course)
• Caster sugar (optional)

Procedure

Mix the ingredients together.  Season with salt and pepper and a little caster if the mixture is too tart.

Creme fraiche

What ever you do don't go out and buy creme fraiche - it's too easy to make - but takes a couple of days.

Ingredients 

• 1 cup full (whipping) cream
• 2 tablespoons butter milk

Procedure

• Pour a cup of full cream into a glass container (I use mason jars - probably have 40 or 50 of them with various things in some state of fermentation).  
• Add the buttermilk.  
• Seal the top and give it a shake.  
• Leave the jar out on the counter in room temperature for about a day (overnight will do).  
• Refrigerate for a day and it's ready to go.