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diagonally in 2-gallon zipper-lock bag and add onion mixture. Seal bag, removing any excess air, and lay fish skin side up on rimmed baking sheet. Place second baking sheet on top and set about 7 pounds of weight (such as heavy cans or bricks) on top. Refrigerate weighted fish until very firm, 12 to 18 hours.
    3. Remove salmon from bag and pat dry with paper towels, removing any dill stems. Before serving, sprinkle minced dill over top and sides of salmon and slice very thin on bias. Serve with Onion Relish and/or Cilantro Cream. (Salmon can be wrapped in parchment paper, then plastic wrap, and refrigerated for up to 1 week.)

ONION RELISH
    MAKES 2 CUPS
    The onions are cooked slowly to bring out their sweetness while the sugar and vinegar temper the heat of the chiles, but this relish is still potent, so use sparingly.
2
tablespoons olive oil
2
white onions (about 1 pound), peeled and chopped fine
2
serrano or jalapeño chiles, seeded and minced
1
red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and chopped fine
¹⁄ 4
cup sugar
¹⁄ 4
cup white wine vinegar
    Heat oil in large sauté pan. Add onions; cook over medium heat until soft but not colored, 7 to 9 minutes. Stir in chiles and bell pepper; continue to cook until all vegetables have softened, about 5 minutes longer. Stir in sugar and vinegar and cook until pan is almost dry, about 5 minutes. Transfer mixture to airtight container and refrigerate until flavors meld, at least 1 hour. Bring to room temperature before serving. (Relish can be refrigerated for up to 1 week.)

CILANTRO CREAM
    MAKES ABOUT 1 CUP
1
cup crème fraîche or sour cream
4
teaspoons minced fresh cilantro
    Combine all ingredients in small bowl. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. (Cilantro Cream can be refrigerated for up to 1 day.)

PREPARING A SALMON FILLET FOR GRAVLAX

    1. After removing skin by running a long, flexible knife from tail to head-end, between flesh and skin, check for any pinbones. Run your fingers over surface to feel for pinbones, then remove them with tweezers or needle-nosed pliers.

    2. Hold sharp chef’s knife at slight downward angle to flesh and cut off and discard whitish, fatty portion of belly.

RESTAURANT-STYLE HUMMUS
    WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS
    We wanted hummus with a light, silky-smooth texture and balanced flavor profile. We quickly settled on using convenient canned beans (we would also develop an “ultimate” hummus variation using dried beans). In theory, the best way to guarantee a creamy texture is to remove the chickpeas’ tough skins, but we couldn’t find an approach that wasn’t tedious or futile. The food processor, while it couldn’t remove all the graininess when we pureed the chickpeas alone, did produce the desired texture when we used it to make an emulsion (much like mayonnaise). We started by grinding just the chickpeas and then slowly added a small amount of water and lemon juice. Then we whisked the olive oil and a generous amount of tahini together and drizzled the mixture into the puree while processing; this created a lush, light, and flavorful puree. Earthy cumin, a pinch of cayenne, lemon juice, and garlic kept the flavors balanced.

RESTAURANT-STYLE HUMMUS
    MAKES ABOUT 2 CUPS
    We recommend Joyva or Krinos tahini and Pastene chickpeas.
¹⁄ 4
cup water
3
tablespoons lemon juice
6
tablespoons tahini
2
tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
1
(15-ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed
1
small garlic clove, minced
¹⁄ 2
teaspoon salt
¹⁄ 4
teaspoon ground cumin
Pinch cayenne pepper
1
tablespoon minced fresh cilantro or parsley
    1. Combine water and lemon juice in small bowl or measuring cup. Whisk together tahini and 2 tablespoons oil in second small bowl. Set aside 2 tablespoons chickpeas for garnish.
    2. Process remaining chickpeas, garlic, salt, cumin, and cayenne in food processor until almost fully ground, about 15 seconds. Scrape down bowl with rubber spatula. With machine running, add lemon juice mixture in steady stream. Scrape