Thoroughly mix the salt, sugar, lemon and grapefruit zest, ginger, juniper berries, and shallot together in a medium bowl. Add a generous grind of black pepper to the mixture.

Lay down a piece of plastic wrap longer than the length of your salmon fillet. Sprinkle ⅓ of the fennel and ⅓ of the salt mixture onto the plastic. Place your fillet skin-side down atop the fennel/salt. Sprinkle the rest of the fennel and salt mixture on the flesh side of the salmon.

Wrap the plastic wrap tightly around the salted fillet, using more if needed. Pierce some small holes in the plastic wrap. The fish will release liquid as it cures, so you want it to be able to drain.

Set the salmon on top of a wire rack, and put that wire rack on a sheet pan to catch the drippings. Put another sheet pan on top of the salmon and weight it down with some canned goods or a heavy cast-iron skillet.

Put the salmon in the fridge to cure for 2 – 3 days, flipping once a day. The longer you let it cure, the firmer and saltier it will become.

Unwrap the salmon and rinse with cold water. Pat dry with a paper towel or clean dish cloth. Slice across the grain using a very sharp knife. Serve with the fixings and enjoy!

Recipe by Mary Dougherty of Cookery Maven, adapted by Abby Rogerson at Washington Sea Grant.