Gravlax

Gravlax is a national dish in Scandinavia and is extremely simple to prepare. When presented as the centrepiece Gravlax is an impressive dish to serve to dinner guests and makes a nice change from smoked salmon.

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Prep: 30 minutes plus 2 days curing
Cook: 8-10 Portions

Ingredients

Salmon

  • 1 side of salmon with its skin on, bones removed and excess fat trimmed

Marinade

  • juice and zest of half a grape fruit
  • juice and zest of 1 lime
  • juice and zest of 1 lemon
  • 2 tbsp caster sugar
  • 1 tsp white peppercorns, crushed
  • 4 tbsp dill, roughly chopped
  • maldon salt

To Coat

  • 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
  • 6 tbsp dill, finely chopped
  • 6 tbsp mint leaves, finely chopped

To Serve

  • lemon wedges
  • slices of brown bread buttered
  • dill sauce (see recipe, optional)

Method

  1. Marinade: Mix all the marinade ingredients together until well combined. Place the salmon on a plate and coat the flesh side in the marinade. Cover the salmon in cling film and refrigerate it for 24 hours.
  2. Remove the salmon from the fridge and carefully wash off the marinade. Dry it lightly with kitchen paper.
  3. To Coat: Place the salmon on a plate or wooden board, flesh side up and coat the it lightly with the Dijon mustard with a brush. Cover the salmon well in the finely chopped dill and mint. Cover the salmon with cling film and place a weight on the salmon eg. tinned food. Place the salmon in the refrigerator for 24 hours.
  4. To Serve: Slice the salmon very thinly with a long sharp knife. Arrange the slices on serving plates so that they overlap. Drizzle the dill sauce around the plate if you are using it. Serve the salmon gravlax with lemon wedges and buttered brown bread.