Gravlax for the Holidays

Post by **DrLogik** » 12/21/10 03:59

I love salmon. Grilled, sauted, smoked and Gravlax. Gravlax is an old Scandanavian method to preserve/prepare the salmon. Be sure to use wild caught salmon and not farm-raised salmon as the texture of wild salmon when prepared like this is dense and just melts in your mouth. Farm-raised salmon just doesn't have the same texture. This method is my own twist on the original recipe and I think it gives the salmon a richer more savory taste.

1 Large fillet wild salmon (skin on and the freshest you can find - ie sushi grade)
1/4 Cup Smoked sea salt (see link below)
3/4 Cup coarse sea salt
1 cup Turbinado sugar or “Sugar in the Raw”
Fresh dill
Capers

Spread a sheet of plastic wrap on the bottom of a large cookie sheet
Sprinkle about 1 teaspoon of the smoked salt on cookie sheet
Place salmon on sheet skin side down
Sprinkle another teaspoon of smoked salt on top of the fillet
Mix the sugar, the sea salt and the remaining smoked salt together
Sprinkle and pack the salt/sugar mixture over the fillet to completely cover.
Place fresh dill on top of the fillet

Tightly wrap the fillet in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator. After 24 hours, pour off the accumulated liquor from the wrapped fillet. Place back in refrigerator for an additional 12 to 24 hours. Any longer and the fillet tends to become too salty. Some folks will place bricks on top of the salmon to hasten the curing process. I do it sometimes and sometimes not. I really don't think it matters too much.

Before it is served, quickly rinse the salt/sugar mix from the fillet with cold water. Slice as thin as possible on the bias and serve with capers on crackers. This salmon is very rich and one fillet should serve 10 people adequately...depending on how many appetizers they want.

The traditional Scandanavian recipe calls for kosher salt and white sugar.

If you want to know where I got this base recipe from, go here to the Finish site:
http://www.dlc.fi/~marianna/gourmet/5_2.htm

I like this Alderwood Smoked Salt and have been using it for years. Buy a big bag and double plastic bag it to maintain the smoky flavor:

https://seasalt.com/gourmet-salt/wholes ... duct_index

fishnbanjo · Post by **fishnbanjo** » 12/21/10 05:19

This is a keeper, I will give this a shot for New Years Eve I hope.......... Thanks.

Gnome · Post by **Gnome** » 12/21/10 08:01

MMMMMMMMMM!!!!!!!!!!

Me too and Thanks!!! Another Arrow in the fish quiver!!!!!

Jeff

cheffy · Post by **cheffy** » 12/21/10 09:26

I once worked with some Norwegian/Swedish chefs.
They would do like Gnome but instead of one fillet they would do two.
they would do salt, fillet(skin side down, salt,white pepper, dill,sugar mix on the flesh.
Then repeat this for the other fillet and stack them but reverse head to tail so they were more level.

they would put them on a rack with a catch pan under and then another pan on top and weight it down.
after about 3 days the salt came off and many times they would add more dill for 2 more days.
after cleaning everything off they would brush it with Aquavit before slicing.

I made some over the summer and made Gravelox tacos with it as a appetizer.
a little salmon in the bottom of a Scoops chip and then top with hard boiled egg, capers and finely minced red onion.
I think I'll make them for New Years Eve.

Eric Peper · Post by **Eric Peper** » 12/21/10 10:40

I used to order gravlax as an appetizer every evening at The Grand Hotel in Stockholm when I traveled to Sweden regularly 1979-1981. They always served it with a sweet mustard that I have been unable to replicate in the US. The salmon was always presented with what I expect was a quick fried and curled segment of the salmon skin. The gravlax was made all the more enjoyable knowing salmon could be taken on the fly in the center of Stockholm. As an aside, while we (at least, I) consider it a delicacy here in the US, gravlax was served to me at lunch while a guest a Rotary Club meeting in Stockholm. Al McClane also considered it a delicacy and he told me insisted gravlax be available 24/7 at the place he stayed in Norway for salmon fishing each year.
Eric

Boolover · Post by **Boolover** » 12/21/10 11:07

Gravlax (Gravad Laks) is one of our traditional Christmas Eve dishes and I was getting ready to make this year's when I read this recipe. I am now awaiting smoked sea salt from amazon.com. Many thanks! Our traditional Scandinavian sauce is:

2 Tbsp French Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp sugar
2 Tbsp vinegar
1/3 cup oil
Dill (chopped in fine pieces)

Mix mustard, sugar and vinegar, then stir in oil a little at a time until fully emulsified. Add dill.

Gnome · Post by **Gnome** » 12/21/10 16:21

Have some Kokanee filets cooking away right now. ;-)

Looking forward to trying this one. A new experience for the gnome!!!

Jeff

Will also be doing the sauce thanks Boolover!!!

walter e lafong · Post by **walter e lafong** » 12/21/10 16:45

the salmon should be frozen first i like to keep in the freezer for a week i then put it on a big plate with a bed of dill after i put some salt and white pepper and sugar on both sides of the salmon put it on bed of dill then pour some sherry or brandy on the salmon and more dill on top then i put clear warp on top of of the plate. i put a platter on top of the the clear warp then i put three big cans of tomato's on top of the plate then every day two times a day for a week i turn the salmon over bring the Salmon up to room Temp put it back in the refrigerator on the last day i wash the salmon off the slice real thin that is something else a little bit of work but well worth it
happy holidays
richard westerfield

Eric Peper · Post by **Eric Peper** » 12/22/10 05:14

Boolover wrote:Gravlax (Gravad Laks) is one of our traditional Christmas Eve dishes and I was getting ready to make this year's when I read this recipe. I am now awaiting smoked sea salt from amazon.com. Many thanks! Our traditional Scandinavian sauce is:

2 Tbsp French Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp sugar
2 Tbsp vinegar
1/3 cup oil
Dill (chopped in fine pieces)

Mix mustard, sugar and vinegar, then stir in oil a little at a time until fully emulsified. Add dill.

Thank you, sir.
Eric

Gnome · Post by **Gnome** » 12/22/10 18:20

MMMMMMM!!!!!!Kokanee Gravlax's MMMMMMMMMMMM!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks again!!!

Jeff

It worked well with the Blue mesa Kokanee ;-)

Viking Squaw candy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Boolover · Post by **Boolover** » 12/25/10 13:28

Wonderful! Gravlax with smoked sea salt and turbinado sugar won instant acclaim by my entire family. It has become an immediate "tradition" for future Christmas dinners. Thank you for sharing!

ablecane · Post by **ablecane** » 01/28/11 18:20

Boolover wrote:Gravlax (Gravad Laks) is one of our traditional Christmas Eve dishes and I was getting ready to make this year's when I read this recipe. I am now awaiting smoked sea salt from amazon.com. Many thanks! Our traditional Scandinavian sauce is:

2 Tbsp French Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp sugar
2 Tbsp vinegar
1/3 cup oil
Dill (chopped in fine pieces)

Mix mustard, sugar and vinegar, then stir in oil a little at a time until fully emulsified. Add dill.

Whipped some of this up at lunch today and substituted raspberry infused Balsalmic vinegar for the plain vinegar.
Served up the smoked salmon on sliced, fresh baked Asagio cheese bagels, cream cheese and drizzled the sauce over the pieces.
Pretty damn good!
Thanks.

dogmeat · Post by **dogmeat** » 03/02/11 18:43

Nice recipe, Swiss friend of mine gave me his grandmothers recipe and he does the two sides at a time, freezes them and puts them on a slicer, by the time they hit the table they are defrosted!
(try some Southern Comfort on the filets-like candy!!!)

ablecane · Post by **ablecane** » 03/03/11 19:41

ablecane wrote:
Boolover wrote:Gravlax (Gravad Laks) is one of our traditional Christmas Eve dishes and I was getting ready to make this year's when I read this recipe. I am now awaiting smoked sea salt from amazon.com. Many thanks! Our traditional Scandinavian sauce is:

2 Tbsp French Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp sugar
2 Tbsp vinegar
1/3 cup oil
Dill (chopped in fine pieces)

Mix mustard, sugar and vinegar, then stir in oil a little at a time until fully emulsified. Add dill.

Whipped some of this up at lunch today and substituted raspberry infused Balsalmic vinegar for the plain vinegar.
Served up the smoked salmon on sliced, fresh baked Asagio cheese bagels, cream cheese and drizzled the sauce over the pieces.
Pretty damn good!
Thanks.
I substituted some raspberry infused vinegar in place of the regular vinegar and enjoyed it. Not too sweet and took a bit of the edge of the mustard.

Gnome · Post by **Gnome** » 12/23/11 10:46

Have a filet in the refrigerator and am looking forward to it tomorrow evening.
Merry Christmas to all

Jeff

hdrmd · Post by **hdrmd** » 12/30/11 18:25

I , too, am trying it for New Year's Eve (tomorrow). Thanks for the recipe!

hdrmd · Post by **hdrmd** » 01/01/12 13:57

Update DrLogik: Salmon was delicious. Thanks. Banjo: Used that Rader knife to slice it...... Oh so thinly. DR

Moucheur · Post by **Moucheur** » 01/01/12 15:13

Super recipe. Thanks.

piscator · Post by **piscator** » 01/04/12 11:07

Dear Gourmets, just found this thread and might add a little. The word Gravlax comes from the conservation method -- during summer time in Norway the people were digging holes in the bottom und burried the salted salmon filets in these holes (grav means digging). Sometimes people don't like the taste of dill and you might use basilicum or a mixture of herbes as well.

Preparing the Gravlax sauce is very easy and its done in less than a minute. Just take a small glass with lid; add good oil, mustard, herbes, honey a little salt into the glass, shake well and your done (you might add some rasps from an orangeskin for a little different version).

And then you might slice the salmon into very thin slices and serve together with bread, or prepare a Gravlax/Rawlax Tatar (this is what I prepare). You can also cut about 1cm thick slices and fry just one side such that the fish is a little warm (just 1/3) fried.
bon appetit, Jürgen

Marty · Post by **Marty** » 01/09/12 10:54

For building canape's with your finished product or as a schmere on some bagel or bread with plain old smoked salmon.
In a food processor with a little dab of olive oil. 1/4 of a small sweet onion 2 cloves of garlic. chop coarse.
add fresh pepper and juice of half a lemon and a package of room temp cream cheese.
wizz it up till creamy
gently stir in chopped fresh rosemary, basil, or thyme..... and capers (let some juice from the jar in too.... keeps a couple weeks in the fridge makes a nice base on a ritz, toast point , bagel.........
With some really great bread and spicy fresh greens and tomato use this instead of mayo and make one heck of a salmon sandwich

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