Your Very Own Cured Salmon Awaits This Weekend If You Start Today

Curing your own meats is one of those projects that you know is technically doable, but feels jut slightly out of reach when you're, say, planning your weekly menu. It's like brewing your own beer; tons of people do it, and love it, and it's not that easy to fuck up, but if you've never tried it before, it feels like you might as well be trying to start a foie gras farm in your backyard. It's mysterious. It requires time and patience and other things that are often in short supply, for the novice chef, like coriander seed.

But David Kuo of LA's Status Kuo wants you to know that you can do it! And on top of the miracle of home-curing some badass salmon, you can also rest said fish on some on beautiful, black squid-ink baguettes. (Squid ink, too, often falls into the category of "love the idea, but no clue what to do with it were someone to hand you a jar of the stuff." But no more! Your goth seafood days await.)

If you're ready to totally destroy the iron-clad constraints of your typical brunch menu this weekend, you'll actually have to start today. Throw together sugar, salt, citrus, and spice, and slather the Amazing Sand of Flavor all over your salmon fillet. In three days, ye too shall have cured salmon.

The squid-ink baguettes can wait until Saturday morning, provided you're not in the fog of a deathly hangover. In that case, they can wait until Saturday evening, when the clouds part and you are once again human, and then be ready to serve on Sunday. Which is the best day to brunch, anyway.

And the herbed labneh schmear—a creamy yogurt swirled with lemon, garlic, and chives—is ready in a pinch. Assemble, and enjoy.

Who knew that little ol' you would be elevating the morning meal game, home-cured salmon fillet, squid ink, and all? Well, we did.