Gravlax is a Scandinavian dish that involves curing fresh salmon with a mixture of salt, sugar, and other seasonings. Here’s a recipe to make homemade gravlax:
Ingredients:
- 1 pound fresh salmon fillet, skin on
- 1/4 cup kosher salt
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns, crushed
- 1/4 cup fresh dill, chopped
Preparation:
- In a bowl, combine the salt, sugar, and crushed black peppercorns.
- Lay a large piece of plastic wrap on a clean surface. Sprinkle half of the salt-sugar mixture evenly over the plastic wrap.
- Place the salmon fillet, skin side down, on top of the salt-sugar mixture.
- Sprinkle the remaining salt-sugar mixture evenly over the top of the salmon.
- Sprinkle the chopped fresh dill over the salt-sugar mixture on the salmon.
- Wrap the plastic wrap tightly around the salmon, ensuring that it is completely sealed.
- Place the wrapped salmon in a dish or baking sheet, with the skin side facing down.
- Place a weight on top of the salmon to help press it down. You can use a smaller baking dish with weights inside or a heavy object like a can.
- Refrigerate the salmon for 36 to 48 hours, flipping it over and gently massaging it every 12 hours to distribute the flavors and cure evenly.
- After the curing time, unwrap the salmon and gently scrape off any excess salt-sugar mixture and dill.
- Using a sharp knife, slice the gravlax into thin slices, cutting at a slight angle. Start at the tail end and work your way towards the thicker end of the fillet.
- Serve the gravlax slices on a platter, garnished with additional fresh dill if desired.