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Recipe File: Gravlax
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Melanie
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PostPosted: Thu Aug 07, 2008 5:30 pm    Post subject: Question about Gravlax Reply with quote

Michael,

I had a beautiful slab of salmon and decided to make some gravlax for my Swedish fiancee. I put everything together Sunday night and due to our crazy schedules, we haven't had a chance to dig into this yet (Thursday). We were just invited to a cookout on Sunday and I thought we could bring this for everyone to enjoy, but am worried about the final product being too salty after sitting there for a week. Should we rinse it now and just leave it tightly wrapped in the refrigerator until Sunday? Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks,
Melanie
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Dilbert



Joined: 19 Oct 2007
Posts: 1304
Location: central PA

PostPosted: Thu Aug 07, 2008 7:41 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Melanie -

unwrap it and wipe off any excess salt, etc., but do not "rinse" it -
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Melanie
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PostPosted: Fri Aug 08, 2008 7:11 pm    Post subject: Gravlax Reply with quote

Dilbert, thanks for the advice. I actually wiped it off and then cut off a piece to try. I am worried that I did it wrong, as it does not taste like what I had in Sweden. I mean, I did leave it in there for a week. It's a little sticky and very dill-y tasting. Is that bad?
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Melanie
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PostPosted: Fri Aug 08, 2008 7:12 pm    Post subject: PS Reply with quote

Also, the top of the fish is a little darker than what Michael shows in his picture, though the inside is still a nice bright pink (I did use coarse ground pepper in the mixture). Is that bad too?
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Dilbert



Joined: 19 Oct 2007
Posts: 1304
Location: central PA

PostPosted: Fri Aug 08, 2008 7:24 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

.....darker . . nadda problem.

....didn't taste like - well, in USA, every backyard chef has his own burger recipe and in Sweden there are at least four gravlax recipes per household.

the fish: wild or farmed? species? big big differences there.

then there's the "secret" ingredients . . .

I used to travel to Goteborg 2-3 times a year and colleagues often gave me a nice 'homemade' chunk to take with . . .
regrets, you can't get it past USDA inspectors so I would always try to schedule things where I visited other European colleagues post Sweden so we could enjoy the bounty.

everyone does it different!
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svensk
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PostPosted: Tue Aug 19, 2008 10:14 pm    Post subject: Gravlax Reply with quote

I have been making gravlax for years. While the true recipe calls for leaving the skin on i use a skinless filet. I found increasing the sugar content to about 60% makes for a less salty result. I use freshly crushed salt and also add a tablespoon of freshly-ground black and white pepper. I use a fresh bunch of dill and after trimming some of the stem start chopping it up, stems included, with scissors until i have well over a cup and a half of chopped dill. I mix the sugar, salt, pepper and chopped dill into a paste with a mortar and pedstle and liberally apply the paste to all surfaces. I fold the filet over with some extra chopped dill between the layers. I place the coated and folded salmon into a glass baking dish and cover with plastic wrap, weight it with a brick an place in a refrigerator. I turn it about every 12 hours so the exterior is now the interior and liberally spoon any fluids produced over the entire filet. I get remarkably satiny results and a very evenly cured gravlax after 3 days. I've prepared the mustard sauce (with a bit more fresh dill in it) but my wife who normally won't touch salmon, loves my gravlax with or without it. I slice it thin on a bias and serve with ice-cold akvavit that was kept in the freezer. Usually with knackabrod.
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jen
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PostPosted: Wed Aug 20, 2008 4:49 pm    Post subject: gravlax Reply with quote

I have made gravlax many times, last time it was really fishy, I'm quite sure it was the skin that gave it this unfortunate taste.
Has anybody ever tried it without skin? I realize it's easier to slice with the skin, but I think maybe I'm on to something? Anybody got anything?
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svensk
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PostPosted: Thu Aug 21, 2008 2:59 pm    Post subject: skinless gravlax Reply with quote

Jen - see above for skinless gravlax. I have no problem slicing skinless gravlax - just need a sharp knife.
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violentcubist
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PostPosted: Wed Oct 01, 2008 5:41 am    Post subject: Vacuum sealer method for gravlax accounting for humidity Reply with quote

I think using a Vacuum sealer (ie. tre ste spade, the italian brand, or a commercial grade of the foodsaver brand could be useful) is a great idea for gravlax production. the fillet can be of any size, salted, sugared, peppered, and coated with a minced dill mixture, possibly containing cognac or another distilled delicacy. The vacuum sealed gravlax can be cured in a fridge for 3-4 days. If the gravlax is desired to be drier, the day 1 gravlax may be sealed in the specialized nylonized vacuum seal bag with paper towels close to the sealed end. As the filet loses water to the paper towel, it will lose water. The sealed end of the vacuum bag can be cut open, the paper towel removed, and a new one place in, the bag being resealed until curing is finished. The number of times this process is repeated will dry the gravlax chunk out increasingly.
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cvhahine
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PostPosted: Tue Oct 07, 2008 5:15 pm    Post subject: Pastrami Nova Reply with quote

Does any one have a recipe for Pastrami Nova or Peppered Nova, I cant find one and would like to try making it.

Thank you

Chahine
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Raymond in Bangkok
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PostPosted: Sun Oct 12, 2008 5:34 pm    Post subject: About recipes and curing Reply with quote

Hi folks.

I've been making gravlax for over twenty years using salmon and trout near my home in Ontario, Canada. After reading some of the previous questions and comments, I would like to add some minor suggestions.

Salmon or trout can be gravlaxed skinned or unskinned. Obviously skinned fillets are better for slicing, but unskinned fillets can be sliced using a sharp knife and a bit of hand pressure behind the knife.

I have made gravlax using farmed Atlantic salmon, chum (dog), pink, chinook, coho, rainbow trout, and steelhead. I've even made gravlax from freshly caught land locked Atlantics I managed to catch while in Canada. Of all, oily salmon works the best (Atlantics). Pacific salmon tend to gravlax saltier than Atlantic salmon. I believe it is because they are not an oily fleshed salmon. When preparing mixures for Pacific salmon, it's a good idea to reduce the salt content a bit.

Sugar is important. White sugar is pure sugar, while brown sugar is mixed with molasses. If you use brown sugar, the molasses will over power the flavor of the final product. I suggest using a mix of white and brown if you wish to use brown sugar.

Salt is more important than sugar. Table salt will work, but it's not recommended. If you can get naturally evaporated sea salt, you can grind it down and use that. Otherwise, stay away from salt that has iodine.

The finished product really needs to be washed after curing. The fillet has been resting in a pool of salt, sugar, and extracted fish fluid for 48 hours. I place my fillets in an ice bath for 5 minutes after finishing the cure time. This not only washes the fillet, but it will remove the salty taste if you had out too much salt in the cure.

I hope this helps some that have questions about making gravlax. There are hundreds of recipes out there with just as many opinions about how to make gravlax. The best way is trial and error. That's how most learn.

Good luck and enjoy your next slice of gravlax
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Stellamay
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PostPosted: Sun Nov 02, 2008 2:53 pm    Post subject: Just like what you get in Denmark! Reply with quote

I made this according to your recipe on a Monday night and left it till Saturday when I washed and prepared it for lunch. It was amazing! My boyfriend who is Danish told me it tasted just like the graved laks that he gets back home. In Denmark they serve it on top of rugbroed (rye bread) with a mustard dill sauce on the side. The closest bread I could find to that in NYC is German pumpernickel (the one in a vacuum sealed package). I found a recipe for the sauce on: http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/database/gravadlaxwithsweetmu_5113.shtml which turned out very well. The only thing missing with the meal was an ice cold glass of akvavit. My boyfriend's mother has asked me to make graved laks for her the next time I visit them in Denmark which I will gladly do! Thanks again for the great recipe.
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PostPosted: Sun Dec 21, 2008 10:03 pm    Post subject: Gravlax Reply with quote

I have been using a recipe from Nigela Lawson which sounds just like Gravlax but uses 8 tbs of Gin and fennel as well as dill. It was the Gin that attracted me to the recipe in the first place. I have made it several times and it is fantastic.

I have never heard of gravlax (not sure of spelling seems to be take your pick) before I came across this recipe so I have nothing to compare it with. For a large salmon cut in half and all those little bones plucked out lay the first side skin down on some cling film or foil and pour about 2 tbs of gin over it then combine 50 grms sea salt 2 tbs peppercorns 75 grms sugar and 1 tbs of juniper berries in a pestle and mortar and grind up then spread the mixture all over the fish. A large handful of fennel fronds is layed on top then pour almost all the gin over it lay the other side on top and pour the rest of the gin over. Then wrap the film or foil over to keep all the liquid in and put it in a large pan I used my grill pan with a board and a brick on top. 4 Days later wipe clean and enjoy.
I forgot to buy dill so I`don't know what I am missing.

All the best
Peter
Dunedin NZ
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ARTHUR
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PostPosted: Mon Dec 22, 2008 4:48 am    Post subject: Cooking Gravlax Reply with quote

Before you recoil in horror, in this case I am only suggesting this in regard to the skin. I have shaved off the skin, leaving about a 16th of an inch of the flesh. Then I cut it up into smallish strips, about 1" x 2" and lay it on a foil sheet and put it under the broiler, skin side upward.

The result is a nicely browned and crisped skin, with cooked salmon underneath. Delicious, and it uses a part of the salmon that people otherwise might just toss out or ignore. When it is cooked, and laid on the same plate for smorgabord it looks quite inviting and I get a lot of compliments for it, some from raw fish fans, some from the adventurous, some from people who are nervous about raw fish and appreciate something a bit Japanese in feeling as an alternative.

My family has always stacked it and pressed it, 50% 50% salt and sugar, tons of dill laid out on bottom, between filets and on top, under the board held in place by rubber bands.

Almost as much fun as Jannsen's Temptation, as long as you use enough of the right kind of anchovies for that dish and bite the bullet and use cream instead of skim milk or something namby-pamby like that. Christmas is but once a year.
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dave r
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PostPosted: Mon Mar 23, 2009 12:57 am    Post subject: gravlax stumble? Reply with quote

I am a fairly competent cook, and this gravlax recipe is as easy as they come! I followed the recipe to a "T" and used a magnificent sushi grade salmon from Whole Foods here in Long Beach, CA. Today is the end of the second day of refrigerated curing, and the salmon is completely lacking in both flavor and the traditional appearance of gravlax. I have no idea what could have gone awry, but I have put it in the fridge for another day and will check tomorrow.
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