A traditional Nordic dish of raw salmon cured with salt, sugar, and dill.
Gravlax
Perfect for a special occasion or just a fancy brunch! Gravlax is a traditional Nordic dish made from raw salmon that’s been cured with salt, sugar, and dill. It’s a time-consuming process, but the result is a deliciously flavorful and unique dish.
Ingredients
- 1.38 lbs Salmon side
- 2 tbsp salt
- 1 tbsp sugar
- Fresh pepper
- 1/2 cup finely chopped dill
- Vodka or aquavit for brushing
- Light-flavored wood for cold-smoking
Directions
- Combine the salt, sugar, and freshly ground pepper in a bowl.
- Rub the salmon side with the salt mixture and the chopped dill.
- Wrap the salmon in foil and place it in the middle of a small sheet pan.
- Compress the salmon under a brick or other weight for 4 days, flipping sides each day. Pour off any accumulated liquid.
- After 4 days, rinse the salmon well, and pat dry. Place it on a cooling rack over the sheet pan.
- Brush the top side of the salmon with vodka or aquavit.
- Let the salmon sit for 24 hours in the refrigerator.
- Cold-smoke the salmon for 2 hours using a light-flavored wood.
- The ratio of salt to sugar for the cure is 2:1 per 1.5 lbs of fish. For example, for 680 g of fish, use 35 g of salt and 17.5 g of sugar.
- For an easier way to cold smoke a fish, you can purchase one of those cold smoke generators used for mixed drinks. Put the cured fish in a sealed container and fill the container with smoke. Repeat a few times for a total of ~2 hours.