Gravad Lax Marinated Salmon Recipes

SIMPLE, HOMEMADE SALMON GRAVLAX

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• Rinse the salmon fillets and pat them dry thoroughly.
• Use tweezers or pliers to pull out any pin bones, if necessary.
• Drizzle the aquavit or vodka evenly over the flesh of each fillet.
• In a small bowl, combine the salt, sugar, and pepper.
• Divide the mixture into 3 even piles within the bowl.
• Divide one of the thirds of curing mix in half and place on a rimmed baking sheet or baking pan in the shape of one of the fillets.
• Lay a fillet skin-side down on the mixture. Spread a third of the curing mixture on the flesh of that fillet.
• Spread the remaining third of the curing mixture on the flesh side of the other fillet. Sprinkle the dill, if using, over both fillets.
• Lay the second fillet flesh to flesh on the first fillet. Sprinkle the remaining curing mixture over the skin of the top fillet.
• Cover the fillets and baking sheet or pan with foil or plastic wrap. Place a cutting board or second baking sheet on top of the covered fish and top it with something heavy (cans, pots, or pans) to weigh the fish down. Place it all in the fridge and let chill for about 12 hours or overnight.
• Remove from the fridge, unwrap, and discard the accumulated liquid in the pan. Turn over the fillets so the bottom one is on top.
• Cover the pan, weigh down the fish again, and return to the refrigerator. Let chill another 12 hours.
• The fish is now cured and ready to serve, but it will continue to benefit from another 12 to 24 hours of being weighed down and chilled, so feel free to repeat these steps a second time around.
• When ready to eat, pat dry, and thinly slice the gravlax against the grain using a very sharp knife.
• Serve and enjoy.

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 LAX (MARINATED SALMON)

Steps:

• Remove bones from salmon, cut into 2 peices, wash and dry.
• Combine salt, sugar and peppercorns in small bowl.
• layer 1/3rd of the dill on the bottom of a shallow baking pan.
• lay one peice of salmon on the dill, sprinkle with salt/sugar mixture and another 3rd of the dill, cover with second peice of salmon, and cover with remaining dill.
• Cover with a board and refridgerate for 2 to 3 days.
• To serve, scrape off salt, sugar, peppercorns and dill. Slice salmon diagonally into 1/4 inch slices. Serve with dark bread and capers.

GRAVLAX (MARINATED SALMON)

Steps:

• For the salmon, remove all bones with a pair of tweezers, but leave the skin on.
• Rinse.
• Mash the dill stems in a mortar with a little of the salt.
• Mix with the rest of the salt, the sugar and pepper.
• Save the dill leaves for the sauce.
• Cover the flesh side of the fillets with the mixture, and place the fillets flesh-to-flesh in a tray made of glass or stainless steel.
• Cover with plastic foil and put a heavy weight on top (e. g. the mortar or a brick).
• Keep refrigerated for 72 hours, turning the fillets every 12 hours.
• Do not discard the liquid that forms.
• Scrape off the spices and discard the liquid.
• The salmon will keep refrigerated for about a week.
• For the sauce, mix mustard, sugar and vinegar.
• Add the oil a little at the time (as for mayonnaise), constantly stirring.
• Just before serving, add lots of dill and salt and pepper to taste.
• Slice the salmon with a sharp, flexible knife in big, thin slices parallell to the skin.
• Arrange the ice-cold salmon on lettuce leaves with slices of lemon.
• Serve the sauce separately.
• Also serve toasted bread and butter.

GRAVAD LAX (MARINATED SALMON)

Steps:

• In a small bowl, mix salt, sugar, pepper, dill weed and seeds. Sprinkle about 2 tablespoons of the mixture over the bottom of a shallow glass baking dish.Place salmon, skin-side down, in the dish. Sprinkle with remaining salt mixture. Cover with plastic wrap and place a weight on the fish. Refrigerate for 48 hours, spooning the marinade over the fish each morning and night.To serve, remove salmon from marinade, scrape away marinade and pat fish dry with paper towels. Place skin-side down on a cutting board. With a sharp knife, shave the salmon.Serve on toast rounds or crackers with mustard sauce.

GRAVAD LAX (MARINATED SALMON)

Steps:

• 1. In a small bowl, mix salt, sugar, pepper, dill weed and seeds. Sprinkle about 2 tablespoons of the mixture over the bottom of a shallow glass baking dish.2. Place salmon, skin-side down, in the dish. Sprinkle with remaining salt mixture. Cover with plastic wrap and place a weight on the fish. Refrigerate for 48 hours, spooning the marinade over the fish each morning and night.3. To serve, remove salmon from marinade, scrape away marinade and pat fish dry with paper towels. Place skin-side down on a cutting board. With a sharp knife, shave the salmon.

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.