Gravad Laks Aka Gravad Lax Gravlax Grav Lax Gravlaks Recipes

GRAVADLAX

Steps:

• Pat the salmon dry with kitchen paper and run your hands over the flesh to see if there are any stray small bones - if there are, use a pair of tweezers to pull them out. Set the salmon fillets aside.
• Tip the salt, sugar, peppercorns, lemon zest, juniper and dill into a food processor and blitz until you have a bright green, wet salt mixture or 'cure'. Unravel some cling film but keep it attached to the roll. Lay the first fillet of salmon skin-side down and then pack the cure over the flesh. Drizzle with gin, if using and top with the 2nd fillet, flesh-side down. Roll the sandwiched fillets tightly in cling film to create a package.
• Place the fish in a shallow baking dish or shallow-sided tray and lay another tray on top. Weigh the tray down with a couple of tins or bottles and place in the fridge for at least 48 hrs or up to 4 days, turning the fish over every 12 hours or so. The longer you leave it, the more cured it will become.
• To make the sauce, tip all the sauce ingredients into a blender. Blitz until you have a thickened dressing.
• To serve, unwrap the fish and brush off the marinade with kitchen paper. Rinse it if you like. You can slice the fish classically into long thin slices, leaving the skin behind, or remove the skin it and slice it straight down. Serve the sliced fish on a large platter or individual plates with pumpernickel bread, dill and mustard sauce.

GRAVAD LAKS (AKA GRAVAD LAX, GRAVLAX, GRAV LAX, GRAVLAKS)

Steps:

• Rinse the filet under lukewarm water and pat dry. Remove any remaining bones with tweezers, pliers or a small child, then cut salmon in half crosswise.
• Place the filet pieces on a large piece of aluminum foil.
• Sprinkle the sugar, salt and pepper over 1/2 of the filet, then completely cover that with a thick layer of dill, making sure you only use the thin leaves of the dill and not the stems. Sprinkle the wine on last. Place the other half of salmon on top like a sandwich, skin side out.
• Wrap up the foil into a firmly closed packet, place on plate and put another plate on top. Weigh down with something heavy (I used a gallon of milk) on the top plate and put in the fridge for 48 hours, turning the salmon every 12 hours to ensure even marinating.
• When the salmon is ready, remove all the dill and set aside, then slice the salmon at a severe angle in the thinnest slices you can manage with an insanely sharp knife, parallel to the skin. The thinner the slice, the better it tastes!
• Serve with fresh dill and pepper on buttered fresh toast.
• Ok, just kidding about the small child.