Salmon Gravlax

We love curing and fermenting food! We’ve cured meats and fish, vegetables and cheese, and even drinks before. Check out our recipes for fermented Apple Kvass, Farmers Cheese, and Cured Pork Fat (Salo). There are many health benefits to fermented and cured foods. They contain natural healthy bacteria that provide essential nourishment for your immune system.

Trying dishes from all over the world is a big hobby of ours. You’ve seen Eastern European, South and North American and Asian recipes on this blog, but this Nordic recipe is a first one.

Today we are traveling to a far north with homemade Salmon Gravlax which is a traditional Scandinavian dish. The name literally means “buried-salmon” in most Nordic languages. Not to confuse with smoked salmon, Gravlax is not smoked but cured or buried in bunch of salt, sugar, dill and spices.

Showing people how to make things from scratch at home is one of my favorite things to do. Salmon Gravlax is super easy to make, and yet at the same time, is a delicious and elegant culinary magic. It’s a wonderful addition to salads, sandwiches or canapés.

All you need to do is rub the salmon all over with salt and spices, wrap it in plastic cling and wait patiently for 12 hours. Piece of cake!

I used a combination of fennel and coriander seeds in addition to salt, sugar and freshly ground black pepper for the spice mixture. Fennel and coriander seeds work perfectly with dill. But feel free to use any kind of your favorite spice mix.

Instead of the traditional pairing of cream cheese and salmon, I paired my homemade gravlax with a goat cheese spread and a sprinkle of balsamic vinegar.

Ingredients:

3 lb Organic Salmon fillet

1/2 tbsp fennel seeds

1/2 tbsp coriander seeds

1/3 cup kosher salt

2 tbsp sugar

1 shot vodka

1/2 tbsp lemon zest

1 bunch of dill, chopped

2 tbsp cilantro leaves

1 tbsp freshly ground black pepper

Rinse salmon under cold running water and pat dry with paper towels. In a small bowl mix the kosher salt, sugar, fennel and coriander seeds, black pepper, dill, cilantro, lemon zest and vodka together.

Lay a couple of sheets of cling film on a cutting board and put salmon fillet in the middle, skin side down. Then spread spice mixture evenly on top of the salmon and wrap several layers of cling film tightly.

Place the wrapped salmon on a plate and weigh it down with some weight. Leave it in the fridge for about 12 hours and take it out. I placed the salmon gravlax in the fridge in the evening and it was done by morning of the next day. Feel free to leave it in the marinade for longer, it will just become firmer with more delicious waxy texture. The gravlax will stay fresh for a week wrapped in plastic in the refrigerator.

Slice thinly and serve over your favorite rye bread or baguette canapé with goat cheese spread, by combining

3 tbsp goat cheese

1/2 tsp garlic

1 tsp dill

balsamic vinegar for sprinkling