Scandinavian · appetizer

Smoked Salmon (Røget Laks)

Name: Smoked Salmon (Røget Laks)
Prep time: 20 min
Total time: 24 h 20 min
Cuisine: Scandinavian
Ingredients: 2 lbs fresh salmon fillet; 1/4 cup coarse sea salt; 3 tbsp sugar; 1 tsp white pepper; 2 cups alder; 1 lemon, sliced; 2 tbsp capers; 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced; 1/4 cup crème fraîche

Smoked Salmon (Røget Laks) reads umami 6.3, citrus 5.9 and sourness 5.5 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Scandinavian appetizer, about 24 hr 20 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

Umami & Savory — 7.6 / 10
Sweet & Fruity — 5.9 / 10
Sour & Bright — 7.5 / 10
Bitter & Earthy — 1.0 / 10
Rich & Fat — 5.5 / 10
Aromatic & Spice — 2.0 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Umami 6.3 · Citrus 5.9 · Sourness 5.5 · Salinity 5.3 · Marine & Briny 4.9 · Fruity 4.6 · Richness 4.5 · Sweetness 4.4 · Nutty 3.5 · Funk & Ferment 2.4 · Allium 1.8 · Floral 1.1 · Earthy 0.9 · Heat 0.8 · Warm Spice 0.8 · Bitterness 0.6

What's in it (9)

2 lbs fresh salmon fillet
1/4 cup coarse sea salt
3 tbsp sugar
1 tsp white pepper
2 cups alder
1 lemon, sliced
2 tbsp capers
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup crème fraîche

Time & effort: about 24 hr 20 min (20 min active) · effort: medium

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 260.4 kcal, 17.3 g protein, 18.1 g fat, 9.5 g carbs

Dietary: Contains meat · Contains seafood · Contains dairy — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (3 steps)

Cure the salmon with a mixture of salt, sugar, and pepper for 24 hours in the refrigerator, then rinse and pat dry.
Cold-smoke the fillet over soaked wood chips at 20–25°C for 6–8 hours until pale pink and lightly fragrant.
Slice paper-thin and serve on rye bread with capers, red onion, and crème fraîche.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

Sarde a Beccafico — Italian · Sicily
Grilled Salmon with Maple Glaze — American
She-Crab Soup — Southern · Lowcountry
Harissa Butter Shrimp Pasta — Fusion
Stuffed Sardines in Grape Leaves — Greek

Keep reading: what umami, citrus, sourness mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.