Gravlox
15 servings as an hors d'ouevre
You'll want a whole peice of the salmon, from just below the head, about 6 to 8-inches long. Have your butcher filet the salmon and remove the small pin bones. Leave the skin on. The end result of this process is you will have two pieces of fish that will fit nicely together during the curing process.
Mix the salt, sugar, peppercorns, and coriander in a bowl. Select a non-reactive container large enough to hold the salmon, and then sprinkle enough of the salt/sugar mixture to generously cover the bottom of the container. Put one piece of the salmon into the container, skin side down, and then sprinkle the fish on the flesh side with about two-thirds of the remaining salt mixture and the all the chopped dill. Drizzle the vodka or gin over the top. Sprinkle the flesh side of the remaining piece of salmon with half the remaining salt mixture, and then flip it over and put it on top of the salmon in the container. Sprinkle the remaining salt mixture over the top.
Cover the fish with aluminum foil and a light weight, such as a chopping board topped with tins of tomato or soup. Pour off the liquid that leaches out in about four to five hours. Keep the gravlox weighted and refrigerated for three to four days, turning once each day.
Remove the fish from the container, scrape off as much of the curing mixture as you can, and then rinse the fish well under running water to remove the remaining mixture sticking to the fish. Pat dry, and wrap in plastic wrap. It will keep for up to two weeks.
To serve, slice the fish thinly on an angle and present on a platter garnished with dill sprigs. Have some thinly-sliced dark bread or crackers and honey/mustard sauce to accompany the gravlox.
Many other interesting ways to serve it are only limited by your imagination; in an omlette, rolled around a julienne of cucumbers and bell peppers, mixed into a custard or an aspic, tossed into a risotto at the last minute...