Steffen's Dinners - Recipes and Photos

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The last time my parents visited, my Mom showed me how to prepare Gravlax (Swedish: "gravad laks", German: "Gravad Lachs"): Salmon cured with sugar, salt and dill.

The recipe is remarkably simple, and since then, I have made this dish many times. You just need a nice raw skin-on salmon fillet and a plastic container, ideally with a lock-on lid. After curing for a few days, it is best served with a special "mustard-dill sauce for gravlax" and bread. Gravlax makes a wonderful starter but (with enough bread) it can also provide a full meal.

Ingredients

• 2 lb / 1kg raw salmon fillet (skin-on, scaled). After trying various varieties of salmon, I've settled on steelhead.
• 2 tbsp coarse salt
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp freshly ground pepper
• 1 bunch of dill, coarsely chopped
• 2 tbsp dried dill
• 3 tbsp cognac

Preparation

1. Mix salt, sugar and freshly ground pepper

2. Cut the fillet in half.

   

3. Place one half-fillet skin-down in a plastic container.
4. Cover with the salt-pepper-and-sugar mixture.
5. Distribute the chopped dill and the dried dill over the fillet.
6. Place the second half of the fillet on top, this time skin-up.
7. Pour cognac over the fillets.

8. Weigh down the fillets. I found it is best to use a plastic container with a lock-on lid and place a smaller container upside down on top of the fish before putting on the lid. See pictures below.

    

9. Cure in the refrigerator for a few days. Turn fillets about once a day.
10. When finished curing, prepare the mustard-dill sauce for gravlax.
11. Cut the fish into thin slices. Serve with the sauce

Notes

• After curing and slicing, gravlax freezes very well. Just make sure to thaw carefully and slowly (in the refrigerator).

Preparation time: ca. 30 minutes plus 2-3 days of curing time