Serious Eats: Recipes
Cook the Book: Lox, Eggs, and Onions
Did you know there is a difference between smoked salmon and lox? Before I moved to New York, I certainly didn't. Sure, they both come from the same fish, but lox is actually pickled in brine—it's not smoked at all. The resulting flavor is exceptionally salty, perfect for pairing with doughy bagels schmeared with cream cheese.
Often substituted for lox (or worse, falsely labeled as it), smoked salmon is far less briny and has a delicate, oily texture and silky taste. The salmon is traditionally cold smoked, which means the fish is kept far enough away from the flame to absorb only the smoke and not the heat.
These days, smoked salmon is much more popular than lox, which has been mostly relegated to the few remaining appetizing shops in New York. Steve Jenkins, author of this week's Cook the Book selection, The Food Life, writes: "Lox is like a forgotten aunt who used to be beloved and prominent but is now merely tolerated, when she shows up at the house at all."
In celebration of those old-fashioned, time-honored weekend brunches, attended by ancient family members everywhere, today's Cook the Book recipe is for Lox, Eggs, and Onions. Substitute smoked salmon if you must, but true lox will provide a sharper contrast between the delicate eggs and sweet onions.
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