Instructions

1. Using tongs or tweezers, remove the rib bones along the thick back section on the salmon.
2. Mix the salt and crushed peppercorns.
3. Grate the apples coarsely, and chop the dill into smaller pieces, both sprigs, and leaves.
4. Mix the apples and dill and place half on the bottom of a dish with a rim at least an inch tall around it.
5. Rub half of the salt mix into the skin side of the salmon, and set it on top of the dill mixture. Rub the meat with the rest of the salt, and spread the remaining apple and dill mixture over it evenly.
6. If you want your salmon to have a more intense apple taste, add in some Calvados.
7. Cover the salmon with plastic wrap.
8. Place a cutting board over it and set a weight on top — a large mortar or a jar of pickles, for example.
9. Leave the salmon to cure for two days in the refrigerator, turning it a few times while it cures.
10. Once the salmon is ready, scrape off all the dill and apple.
11. Slice the salmon on the bias (at about a 45-degree angle vertically) into thin slices with a sharp thin knife.
12. Serve it with a dollop of homemade mayonnaise and finely chopped dill.