One of the simplest and most impressive cured dishes and certainly the king of cured fish. Speaking of king, if you can find wild Pacific salmon (usually spring through fall), especially king or sockeye, use it; if not, farm-raised salmon is quite good when treated this way. In fact, farm-raised salmon is a pretty good option—because it is harvested and shipped to stores daily it’s usually perfectly fresh, a requisite for all salmon you’d consider using for gravlax. Generally, gravlax is ready within 24 hours, but it’s better after a little longer than that, and you can hold it for another couple of days before serving if you like; it will become increasingly dry and strong flavored, not a bad thing. In any case, treat finished gravlax as a fresh food and use it within a few days.
Recipe information
Yield
makes 16 or more servings
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Mix together all the ingredients except the salmon. Place the salmon, skin side down, on a large sheet of plastic wrap. Cover the flesh side of the salmon with the salt mixture, being sure to coat it completely (there will be lots of salt mix; just pile it on).
Step 2
Wrap the fish well in plastic. Refrigerate for at least 24 hours and preferably 36.
Step 3
Unwrap the salmon and rinse off the cure. Dry, then slice on the bias. Serve plain, with lemon wedges, or with Mustard Dill Sauce (page 608), thinned with a little sour cream.
