Gravlax (marinated salmon)
photo by Anke R
- Ready In:
- 72hrs 20mins
- Ingredients:
- 12
- Serves:
-
8
ingredients
- 2 lbs norwegian salmon fillets (of optimum quality)
- 1⁄4 cup salt (preferably sea salt)
- 1⁄3 cup sugar
- 1⁄2 teaspoon white peppercorns, slightly crushed in a mortar
- 1 bunch fresh dill, the stems
-
Mustard sauce
- 3 tablespoons Swedish mustard or 3 tablespoons german sweet mustard
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon vinegar
- salt, pepper
- 6 tablespoons mild vegetable oil (not olive oil!)
- additional fresh dill, finely chopped
directions
- For the salmon, remove all bones with a pair of tweezers, but leave the skin on.
- Rinse.
- Mash the dill stems in a mortar with a little of the salt.
- Mix with the rest of the salt, the sugar and pepper.
- Save the dill leaves for the sauce.
- Cover the flesh side of the fillets with the mixture, and place the fillets flesh-to-flesh in a tray made of glass or stainless steel.
- Cover with plastic foil and put a heavy weight on top (e. g. the mortar or a brick).
- Keep refrigerated for 72 hours, turning the fillets every 12 hours.
- Do not discard the liquid that forms.
- Scrape off the spices and discard the liquid.
- The salmon will keep refrigerated for about a week.
- For the sauce, mix mustard, sugar and vinegar.
- Add the oil a little at the time (as for mayonnaise), constantly stirring.
- Just before serving, add lots of dill and salt and pepper to taste.
- Slice the salmon with a sharp, flexible knife in big, thin slices parallell to the skin.
- Arrange the ice-cold salmon on lettuce leaves with slices of lemon.
- Serve the sauce separately.
- Also serve toasted bread and butter.
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Reviews
-
This is an excellent recipe. I had the same at home and when there was salmon on sale, I finally decided to try it. I was always wooried that it wouldn't turn out like the bought stuff and that I would waste aperfectly good salmon. Well the opposit was the case. It is very easy to do and with a sharp knife you will be able to slice it just as thin as if you bought it in a delicatessen. Besides it is much cheaper too. A good recipe for the holiday season, since it is impressive, but doesn't take up much of your time. I substituted the sugar in the sauce for honey, since it was closer to the taste I remember. After taking of the marinating spices I put some dill on top, so that a little remained on each slice. You can also serve it to small children, although you are risking to turn them into little gourmets ;)
Tweaks
-
This is an excellent recipe. I had the same at home and when there was salmon on sale, I finally decided to try it. I was always wooried that it wouldn't turn out like the bought stuff and that I would waste aperfectly good salmon. Well the opposit was the case. It is very easy to do and with a sharp knife you will be able to slice it just as thin as if you bought it in a delicatessen. Besides it is much cheaper too. A good recipe for the holiday season, since it is impressive, but doesn't take up much of your time. I substituted the sugar in the sauce for honey, since it was closer to the taste I remember. After taking of the marinating spices I put some dill on top, so that a little remained on each slice. You can also serve it to small children, although you are risking to turn them into little gourmets ;)
RECIPE SUBMITTED BY
Andreacute Grisell
Stockholm, 0
37 years, chef diploma, but nowadays a graduate in computer science and nuclear reactor physics. Also into polar research.
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<br>Food is a passion.