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Gravadlax
A Scandinavian speciality, Gravadlax is paper-thin raw salmon fillet that has been cured with dill, sugar, salt and coarse peppercorns. It needs to be started the day before you need it but once made it will keep for three to four days in the fridge.
Use a skin-on salmon fillet, cut from the centre of the fish. Ask your fishmonger to pin-bone it for you or do it yourself with tweezers.
Ingredients
- 500 g Salmon Fillet
- 75 g Sea Salt
- 75 g Caster Sugar
- 1 teaspoon Crushed Black Peppercorn
- 1 Lemon
- 8 Juniper Berries
- 40 g Dill
- 2 tablespoons Gin
- 4 tablespoons Dijon Mustard
- 4 tablespoons Cider Vinegar
- 4 tablespoons Clear Honey
- 4 tablespoons Sunflower Oil
- 2 tablespoons Muscovado Sugar
Method
- Tip the salt, sugar, peppercorns, grated lemon zest, juniper berries (optional) and half the 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 fillet of salmon, skin-side down and then pack the cure over the flesh.
- Drizzle with gin (or you can use vodka). Wrap the salmon 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 a 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 the dijon mustard, cider vinegar, honey, sunflower oil, muscovado sugar and remaining dill 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 brown bread, dill and mustard sauce and a slice or two of lemon or lime.