Gravlax

It was my last day in Seattle. There was an early plane to catch, but fortunately, the fish markets were open by 4 am. I’d remembered to bring my own cooler; all I needed was a Copper River King salmon, some ice and clear lanes all the way to the airport.

Back at home, the tail half of the fish went into the freezer. The head went into a pot of tamarind-infused sinagang.  Two thick fillets were the centerpiece for a special dinner. Meanwhile, a thick and firm and still-glistening center cut will be reincarnated as silky slices of gravlax — a miracle transformation worth every single minute of curing.