Scandinavian · Starter · Easy
Gravlax
Scandinavian cured salmon: silky, dill-scented slices with a whisper of sweetness, ready after two days in the cure.
The whole recipe in 60 seconds
Gravlax, in 5 ideas
- The 1-to-1 salt-to-sugar ratio cures without making the fish too salty
- Weighting presses out moisture and firms the texture
- Slice as thin as you can; a long sharp knife makes all the difference
- Gravlax keeps a week refrigerated and freezes beautifully
- Mustard-dill sauce is the classic pairing and takes 2 minutes to whisk
What you need
Ingredients
- 1 and 1/2 lbs center-cut salmon fillet, skin on, pin bones removed
- 1/4 cup kosher salt
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon crushed white peppercorns
- 1 large bunch fresh dill, roughly chopped
- 1 tablespoon aquavit or vodka (optional)
- Mustard-dill sauce and rye bread for serving
How to make it
Directions
- Mix the salt, sugar, and crushed peppercorns in a bowl.
- Rub the salmon all over with the aquavit if using, then coat thickly with the cure mixture.
- Lay half the dill in a dish, place the salmon skin-side down on it, and cover with the remaining dill.
- Wrap tightly in plastic, place a plate on top with a weight like a couple of cans, and refrigerate for 48 hours, turning once.
- Unwrap, brush off the cure and dill, and pat dry.
- Slice thinly on the diagonal away from the skin and serve with mustard-dill sauce.
Money saver. Buy a whole side of salmon when it is on sale; curing is far cheaper than buying smoked salmon.