Gravadlax Recipe

This is such a popular dish for Sweden, Finland and even Denmark

To make this Scandinavian specialty, you rub raw salmon with salt, dill, and other flavourings and let it cure in the fridge.
The process takes three days, at which point you'll have smooth, silky cured salmon, which makes an impressive appetizer served with baguette toasts or pumpernickel and a dollop of sour cream..
Although the recipe is for a whole fish, you could just purchase a piece of salmon [about 500 grams or just a bit over a pound] centre-cut fillet. You will need a lot less of the salt mix, but this is not too important since you will brush off the salt mix before serving your graavadlax.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup sea salt [get the natural unbleached salt, I use Celtic sea salt, it can be more expensive but it is so much better]
• 3/4 cup of brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon coarsely black pepper
• 1 fresh whole salmon filleted but with the skin left on, you want to have 2 fillets of equal size
• 2 measures of dry gin
• 1 big bunch of fresh dill, trimmed. Chop the leaves and stems roughly, keep a few whole to decorate

Method:

1. Put the salt, sugar, and pepper into a bowl. Mix well and keep aside.
2. Cover a large tray or platter with some sheets of plastic wrap, letting the edges hang over the sides. Lay the 2 salmon fillets skin side down on the plastic sheets.
3. Sprinkle the salt cure mix over both fillets and rub it in evenly.
4. Drizzle the gin over the fish.
5. Distribute the dill on top.
6. Put the other fillet on top, flesh side down.
7. Wrap the plastic tightly around the fish, using more plastic if necessary to completely seal it.
8. Set a large baking sheet or heavy platter on top of the salmon and weight it down
9. Refrigerate for 3 days.
10. Pour off the brine that has seeped from the salmon.
11. Unwrap the fish and use your hands to brush off and discard the salt cure, and most of the dill. Use a sharp, long, narrow knife, and cut very thin, almost translucent slices on the diagonal, using long, smooth strokes
12. Cover and store leftover gravaadlax in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
13. Serve on toasted French bread or pumpernickel or any nice thinly slice sourdough, garnish with thick sour cream and salmon roes .
14. Drink iced Vodka or a dry white wine [ an Alsace Riesling would be nice]

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