| Gravlax |
|
Gravlax is Swedish cured salmon. Although no heating
method is involved, the salmon is "cooked" or preserved
with salt and sugar. Serve it with pumpernickel toasts, butter, thinly
sliced cucumber, and
Dijon mustard sauce for a party dish extraordinaire.
Note: Once cured, the salmon will stay in the fridge for a week tightly wrapped in plastic. |
| Serves 12-15 as an appetizer |
 |
|
| Ingredients | Directions |
|
two identical center cut salmon fillets with the skin (2 Lb total) 1 Tbsp black pepper corns 1/4 cup sea salt 2 Tbsp sugar 1 Tbsp cognac 1/2 cup coarsely chopped dill |
Remove any pin bones from salmon with needlenose pliers or tweezers. Put pepper corns into a small ziploc bag and crush by rolling them with a rolling pin or pressing on them with a heavy skillet. Mix salt, sugar, and crushed pepper corns. Rub both sides of fillets heavily with about half of the salt and sugar mixture. Sprinkle the remaining salt and sugar onto the flesh side of fillets. Sprinkle with cognac. Spread dill evenly over one fillet. |
|
Large freezer ziploc bag 5-8 Lb weight |
Place the
second fillet on top of the first one so that the flesh side of fillets is
together, and the skin is outside. You
should end up with a salmon dill sandwich. Place it in a large freezer ziploc
bag, get as much air out as possible, and lock the bag. Put the bag with salmon in a pyrex or other shallow baking dish, place a cutting board, and then a heavy weight (5-8 Lb) on top of salmon. I use an old brick wrapped in foil. Refrigerate for 2 days turning the bag with salmon over every 12 hours. After 2 days, get the salmon out of the bag, scrape some of the dill and pepper corns, and dry fillets with paper towels. Slice very thinly at 45 degree angle and serve. |
|
1/2 cup mayo 1/4 cup Dijon mustard 2 Tbsp chopped dill 1 tsp lemon zest 1 tsp lemon juice salt and pepper to taste |
Dijon Mustard Sauce: Mix mayo, mustard, dill, lemon zest and juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper. |