Gravlax (grav-lax) is a quintessential Scandinavian
dish, first taking hold
in the Middle Ages when fishermen would fermented it
beneath the shoreline’s
sand. Translating literally into “buried salmon,”
gravlax no longer requires
fermentation, but is rather prepared in a dry
marinade that cures the salmon
through a process of osmosis. The dish is
considered gourmet food by most
fine
dining aficionados, and is regularly paired with arugula salads, toast or
crackers.
For every pound of raw salmon, you’ll need:
2 tbs salt
2 tbs sugar
2 tsp ground black pepper
1c. of dill
It’s important to use fillet cuts of salmon—meaning
the fish has been portioned
parallel to the backbone. This minimises how many
bones are in the cut itself.
Still, examine the salmon for any bones both by
looking at the fish and by feeling
s its surface. If you come across any
leftover bone, remove with needle nose pliers.
Next, you’ll want to place the salmon on a large
piece of plastic wrap—about four
times the length of the portion—with the
skin-side facedown. Mix the salt, sugar
and black pepper in a small bowl before
spooning it over the exposed flesh,
ensuring that as much of the fish is
covered as possible. Without cutting the
dill up, place on top of the salmon
fillet so that it runs the length of the fish.
If the dill is too long, snap
off the ends or fold them onto each other. Our rule
of thumb is: the more sprigs, the better.
Wrap everything together in the plastic wrap,
making sure that the bundle is
seale tight. Then, take a second piece of
plastic wrap and cover the fish
again. Laythis package inside a baking dish,
so that the juices from the
curing process arecaught without making a mess.
Refrigerate the salmon
for at least two days, whichboth allows the salmon to
cure as well as the
flavours to set in. The longer you keep it untouched, the
more flavourful
your gravlax will be.
Once the salmon is ready to come out of the fridge, open the wrapping
and remove
the dill. Wash the salmon in cold water to remove the salt and
pepper and any
leftover sprigs, then gently dry with paper towels
Yum! in-fact this is something that I am going to do this weekend :)
Enjoy!
♥
L O V E N O R D I C
