Gravadlax finds its origins in Scandinavia. It is a really easy make-ahead appetizer and I think that it is a nice break from smoked salmon. The biggest difference between the two is the flavor. Gravadlax is mild, which is so much more pleasant than the often over smoked salmon available today.
Tip : Make sure that you liberally coat all the surfaces of the salmon. You may have some seasoning mixture left over.
Ingredients
- 1 lb Salmon Fillet from the center, skin on
Curing Ingredients
- 2/3 cup kosher salt
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 tbsp coarsely ground black pepper
- 1 pinch salt peter
- 1 bunch fresh dill sprigs
- fresh lemon wedges for garnish
Instructions
- Gather all ingredients before starting recipe.
- Cut salmon fillet in half.
- Mix salt, sugar, pepper, salt peter and black pepper and rub both sides of each piece of salmon with mixture.
- Line the bottom of a dish with dill fronds, place one half of the salmon, skin side down on the dill.
- Top the first half of the salmon in the dish with more dill, than top with the second piece of salmon, skin side up.
- Cover salmon with cling wrap and then place a board on top of the salmon and weigh down with a brick or heavy canned goods and place in fridge for 24 hours or up to 3 days. Turn once or twice during this time.
Final Steps
- Remove salmon from fridge and scrape off the dill
- Slice salmon as you would for smoked salmon, very thin slices at an angle to the skin
Serving
- Garnish with fresh dill sprigs, wedges of pumpernickel and fresh lemon and freshly ground black pepper
Author Notes
The curing salt mixture should be be liberally applied to all sides of the salmon. You may have some left over, but the objective is to use as much as possible. The salmon will not actually take on the taste of the of the salt but is needed to cure the salmon.
