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Gravlax (pronounced "grov-lox") is from the Swedish name for this dish. Norwegians call it gravlaks and the Danish refer to it as Gravad laks. It literally means "buried salmon" and the name refers to the traditional method of preparation for this food: fresh salmon was heavy salted and buried in dry sand to ferment and cure.
Parasites, such as roundworms, can naturally reside in salmon regardless of if it was frozen or fresh. For safety, use salmon that has been commercially frozen or freeze the salmon yourself to at least -10°F (-23°C) for at least 7 days. Alternatively, you can freeze the salmon after you have cured the fish, but make sure you reach those minimum conditions. My freezer's not set up to go that low, so I buy my salmon frozen when preparing this dish. (The freezing kills the parasites.) Before you begin, thaw the salmon completely.
For every pound (450 g) of salmon, prepare 2 tablespoons (about 30 g) kosher salt, 2 tablespoons (25 g) sugar, 2 teaspoons ground black pepper (4.2 g), and a handful of dill. For gravlax, use filet cuts (fish portioned with cuts parallel to the backbone), not steak cuts (fish portioned with cuts going through the backbone). In the example shown, I used a 1-1/2 pound salmon filet (completely thawed), so I set aside 3 tablespoons each of kosher salt and sugar as well as 3 teaspoons of pepper. There are a lot of gravlax recipes out there that uses all sorts of other ingredients to provide additional flavors. I prefer the clean taste of the salmon and encourage everyone to try this recipe first before adding more ingredients.Examine the salmon for bones by visual inspection and by touch. If you find any bones, remove them with needle nose pliers. Draping the salmon over an inverted bowl or holding the filet up with one hand so it drapes (like a towel over the arm of a maitre d'hotel) will help force the tips of the bones up, making them easy to grasp and remove. Place the salmon on a large piece of plastic wrap (about three to four times the length of the filet) with the skin side down.
Put the salt, sugar, and black pepper into a bowl and mix until evenly distributed. Spoon the mixture onto the exposed salmon flesh, making sure to cover as much of the exposed areas as possible.
Place the dill on top of the salmon. If the dill is too long to fit on top of the filet, then snap off the stems or fold the dill over. It's best not to chop up the dill. We'll be removing the dill later, so having large pieces makes it easier to work with. How much dill should you layer on? They say, the more dill the better. I don't know how many sprigs I put on the salmon, but, as you can see in the photo, the dill is piled quite high.
Wrap the salmon, salt, dill sandwich up, tightly, in the plastic wrap. Take a second sheet of plastic wrap and wrap again. Place the package in a baking dish or container. You won't be baking this -- the container is there to catch the juices that will inevitable flow from the package during the curing. We'll be placing this in the refrigerator.Refrigerate the salmon for at least two days. Continued refrigeration in the package will intensify flavors. Usually, I can't wait longer than three days. At this point, remove the container from the refrigerator, open the package, remove the dill, and rinse in water. In short, just wash the gravlax. If any pieces of salt or pepper are stuck to the flesh, just wipe it gently off. Dry with a paper towel.
I should probably mention, at this point, that many recipes call for the use of bricks or heavy weights to be placed on the salmon package. Some recipes also call for turning the package over every twelve hours to redistribute the juices. Both of these steps seem to be unnecessary. It may be blasphemy to say so, but you can achieve perfectly cured gravlax without the weight and without the turning.
Use a sharp knife to cut the gravlax. (Filet knives, boning knives, and Japanese sashimi knives work well for this role.) Position the gravlax so you will be cutting from the tail end (the small end) first. The gravlax should be sliced thinly on the bias (at an angle). Each slice should be detached from the skin.
The gravlax can be served by itself, on top of toasted bread, crackers, or any other way you would serve a smoked salmon appetizer. A squeeze of lemon juice or a slice of lemon (especially Meyer lemon) can also be a welcome touch.Gravlax (recipe can be scaled)
| 1 lb. (450 g) frozen salmon filet | thaw completely & remove bones | cover salmon | cover salmon | double wrap in plastic wrap | refrigerate at least 48 hours | rinse and dry | slice on bias |
| 2 Tbs. (~30 g) kosher salt | mix | ||||||
| 2 Tbs. (25 g) granulated sugar | |||||||
| 2 tsp. (4.2 g) ground black pepper | |||||||
| 20 sprigs fresh dill weed | |||||||
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Hmmm... I don't know why I said skin side up or down. I don't think it matters to the final product. I've removed it from the article to reduce confusion.
This is a good example of how multitasking can degrade the quality of your work. :)
First, the salmon should actually lay on both sides, as Gravad Lax is stored two fillets at a time with the fleshy sides facing, and should be turned a couple of times while refridgerated.
I can honestly say that I have never encountered a Gravad lax with alcohol as a part of the actual recipe/seasoning. Aquavit however, is nothing less than a requirement to be served with the salmon if you want true scandinavian style gravad lax.
Further, hovmästarsauce is the addition of choice for this "basic" recipe. Mix 1 Tbs sugar, 1 Tbs white wine vinegar, salt and pepper. Add 1dl (6.66 Tbs) of vegetable oil in drop by drop while whipping forcefully. The sauce is to be thick and glossy. If the oil is added too fast then the suce might cut. Finally add 3 Tbs of short dill weed.
Jacob W
To prepare the gravlax in the traditional method, cut the filet in half (top to bottom, not head to tail). Cover both pieces with the salt mixture and sandwich the dill in between them (flesh sides facing flesh sides as Jacob says). The gravlax should be flipped over every twelves hours. The problem is, I've prepared gravlax both ways and I can't tell the difference. So, I don't bother with the two piece sandwich anymore and usually don't even bother flipping. Sometimes I flip after a day and half because I like to touch and I can't keep my hands off my food.
I also have not tried any gravlax prepared with alcohol. I wonder how that tastes.
Ohhhh careful, you thread on dangerous ground. Gravnings-purists would have your head for that sentiment. ;)
Jacob W
What do I look for? How is the label marked so that I know it has been frozen to the right temperature? What else does a label say that is meaningful?
What about fresh salmon, how do I pick a good steak? How do I kill the microorganisms?
I've seen different packages at the market but don't know how to choose or even interpret the labels. I tried some smoked salmon once and it turned out tough and dry.
I once had some fantastic thinly sliced smoked salmon at a ski resort. I haven't been able to find anything like it since then, but it sounds like it may have been something akin to lox.
One other thing, if buying frozen, how do I thaw it? In the refrigerator for 3 days? In warm water in the sink a couple hours? Which way is best/safest?
Thanks, the recipe looks great,
Skip
1. The main difference between this recipe and others I have seen, is that it shows only part of a full filet. It's good to know that a relatively small amount can be prepared in this way. However, if an entire filet is used, the recommended procedure is to cut it into a head and a tail part of equal length. These pieces are then put together in such a way that the thin part of one piece meets the thick part of the other, forming a combined piece of approximately uniform thickness. Before they are put together all sides are covered with the salt mixture and a generous amount of dill is put in between the pieces. This variation may explain the confusion about the skin side of the salmon. When two pieces are put together the skin-sides will be on the outside, whether the filet still have skin or not.
2. I'm sceptical to the proposed etymology of the word "gravlax". I have never heard of preparing salmon by burying it, even in the past. The Swedish word "grav" can also mean a water-filled depression, such as a moat or an especially deep area of the sea.
3. I don't know why the recipe specifies kosher salt, since that's rarely used in Scandinavia. Maybe the point is that it must be real salt, not low-sodium or other substitutes.
4. I second the opinion that the basic recipe can't be improved on, except with a little bit of pepper.
5. I agree that the more dill the better. I put dill over and under too.
6. In my experience no amount of plastic wrap can contain the juices completely, it's messy. The best would probably be to use a zip-lock bag, but I have never had a big enough bag handy.
7. I agree that weights don't seem to accomplish anything. My guess is that weights might have helped keeping the salmon immersed in the juices, before the days of plastic.
8. Maybe a single piece doesn't have to be turned, but I feel better about turning a two layer piece. It's easy enough, except for the mess.
Do I take a chance and a taste, or toss the whole thing out to the raccoons and possums who patrol for scraps?
A quick google will tell the stories.
I normally use fennel and dill seeds for spicing the fish but you can use quite a lot of things. The yellow on the lemon is also nice along with the lemonjuice. You can use oranges as well but its not a personal favourite.
Gin and rose pepper is quite nice but one have to be caful with the alcohol as the fish generally catches a lot of taste from alcohol. A smoother alcohol as dry sherry might be an option.
When preparing the fish I normally prefere a palastic bag as you can close that tightly. The fish gives away some fluids and you want to keep that with the fish. Using a whole fish you take the two filets put the sugar/spice mix and rub it into the filets gently. Put the leftover mix and the dill/fennel etc and put it in between the parts. Put the other file on top of the first one head to tail and put it in the bag.
If you want to speed up the process you can actually use thin slices of salmon, put on a plate and carefully pour over some salt/sugar mix. It will marinate in 5-10 minutes.
About the name: it is not called gravlax in Sweden, the actual name is GRAVAD LAX (meaning burried salmon like you said, but don't know what the name relates to, my guess is that people laid the salmon in pits in the ground or underground cellars during the curing to keep it cool). The name "gravlax" that americans seem to use probably comes from the norwegian name you mentioned
Can you do the same with Tuna? Or Cod, Haddock for example?
Also, in the freezer, I have the Head to tail covered a generous amount of flesh; does anyone have any ideas what I can do with it?
Cure it and make a pate for example? Seems such a shame to waste it...
I'd definitely keep it refrigerated.
Keep it in the fridge, its still a fresh product
I'm pretty sure you want to use a fatty fish
I forgot to add we like to make a sauce with ours.
Unless I'm baking I never measure but here's a start. You want this sauce to end up savory, the sugar is just to take the bite out of the mustard and the lemon. Add the oil last the as an emusifier. I dont use much oil.
deli mustard
dill
sugar
lemon juice
oil
1. I lay two salmon filets out, skin side down and flesh side up, and rub a substantial amount of a salt/sugar/white pepper mixture onto the flesh side of each. I have made it with both kosher salt and coarse-grained sea salt, and find that the latter gives a more vibrant taste to the end product. I use equal parts of salt and sugar, and approximately 10% of the total salt/sugar mix of finely-ground white pepper. For a whole salmon of about 4 pounds before fileting -- i.e., two filets, each weighing about 1-1/2 pounds after fileting -- I would use about 5 tablespoons each of salt and sugar, and about one tablespoon of pepper. This is, of course, approximate, and accurate measurement is not crucial.
2. I place the following into a flat glass (or otherwise nonreactive) baking dish: a layer of dill; one of the salmon filets, skin side against the dill, flesh side up, with the filet facing an arbitrary north; another layer of dill; the other salmon filet, flesh side against the dill, skin side up, with the filet facing an arbitrary south; another layer of dill. Over the top of this "sandwich" I sprinkle the remaining salt/sugar/white pepper mix. For a whole salmon -- i.e., two filets -- a 13" x 9" baking dish is the right size.
3. I take another nonreactive baking dish of the same size and place it on top of the "sandwich," with the flat side (bottom) of the baking dish down.
4. I wrap the whole thing with 4 short bungee cords, two on the arbitrary north-south axis and the others on the arbitrary east-west axis, to press the upper baking dish down onto the "sandwich." I then refrigerate it.
5. After 12 - 24 hours I unwrap the bungee cords, drain off the liquid, turn the "sandwich" over, replace the upper baking dish, re-wrap with the bungee cords, and refrigerate. I repeat this every 12 - 24 hours for two to three days.
6. When it is finished I remove the "sandwich", drain off whatever liquid remains, separate the filets, throw away everything that is not salmon, rinse the filets thoroughly, dry them, and lightly scrape the flesh surface of each filet with a sharp knife (otherwise I find it too salty).
7. I serve it sliced thin (a long-bladed non-serrated knife seems to work best), on small pieces of thin-sliced rye or pumpernickel bread, with a sauce made of 1 tablespoon sweet mustard, 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, 1 tablespoon sugar, 1 tablespoon white vinegar, 4 - 5 oz. oil (I mix good-quality olive oil and neutral salad oil, such as Canola, equally) whisked in a drop or so at a time so that sauce emulsifies, and a whole lot of finely-chopped dill at the end.
8. Vodka or aquavit that has been stored in the freezer, served in shot glasses, goes well.[/i]
I was under the impression that sushi grade salmon was all prefrozen to destroy parasites.
A wonderful method of putting up the salmon was taught me by a Swedish chef (my apologies to my Danish friends). After making the traditional filet sandwich, cut sufficient cheesecloth to wrap the sandwich 6 to 8 times. Cover the surface of your non-reactive dish with one end of the cheesecloth, throw some dill, sugar/salt mixture and pepper/juniper berry on it, then lay on the sandwich. Throw some of the same ingredient mix on the top of the sandwich. Then, wrap the sandwich in the cheesecloth while flipping it and pulling slightly on the cheesecloth with each turn.
This accomplishes all you need do. Each time you wrap and pull, the total pressure on the salmon is additively increased by the strength of each pull (same as when a piano tuner repairs a broken hammer shank by applying glue and then wrapping with thread). This holds the dill/berry/pepper mix firmly against the fish (don't pull too hard, just gently). It also maintains moisture all around the fish and reduces the required frequency of turning while curing. Best of all, it has always seemed to me to produce a much nicer, fresher tasting product by allowing the fish to breathe while curing (as opposed to wrapping in plastic -- think about it, they didn't have plastic wrap when this dish was first developed by our Scandi pals). Breathing is a good thing, moisture is a good thing, it's all good.
I believe you'll find the resulting product freshly flavored just the way you want it (depending upon your own ingredient mix) and with a moist, medium-firm (just firm enough to slice), melt-in-your-mouth texture.
Foiled again.
If yours is too salty for your taste you should not reduce the salt too much as it is vital to the "cure" and is needed to extract the liquids. Try wiping it clean of the seasoning or even rinsing then patting it dry with a clean cloth then a good honey-mustard sauce should not foil your efforts again.
Hope this helps.
Thirty years later, I'm Asatru, and hankering to make gravlax; my lust for cured salmon hasn't diminished one whit.
Some say King (chinook) is best, others vote for Silver Salmon, many say they prefer Sockeye. There is also Chum.
Any comments from those with experience??????
I've also used vanilla extract and/or lemon juice instead of an alcohol. I've also used dried dill and it's not such a awful compromise in taste. This summer I'm looking forward to trying lime juice.
Also, for those that are squeamish about "raw" salmon, or if it's too salty, I'd suggest soaking their serving pieces in fresh lemon juice for a bit of time to "cook" it for them.
I'm always looking for new ways to prepare fish, and nothing is more tasty than a gravelax dish with rye bread and sliced red onion (cappers are a treat, too). I am a teacher in Bangkok and from Canada where I learned about making gravelax using local rainbow trout, steelhead, and landlocked salmon. All the recipes I have read here are fantastic. What I would like to comment on the complaints of saltiness and curing time. The saltiness comes from (as you would probably know), the salt that you apply onto the actual flesh. If your gravelax is coming out too salty, it is because you are putting too much cure agent onto the fish. You only need to sprinkle the salt - sugar mixture lightly onto the fish. What many don't realize is when you are sprinkling the cure mixture onto the fish, the salt and sugar quickly desolves causing you to think that you are not putting enough on. Your fillet does not need to be painted white with the cure mixture. Be confident with your first application and try that. Once you have treated the fillet with the specified amount of cure mixture, wrap it up and prepare it for cooling.
I still believe that weight is an important factor with the curing process. I have tried bricks, stones, cutting boards, and even old phone books. Let me tell you all, nothing is better than a water balloon. After you have prepared your gravelax for the cooler, get a medium sized garage bag and fill it over half way with water. Tie it off and place it directly onto your fillets. It is best to use a roasting pan so that the sides of the pan will contain the bloated bag. The weight of the water is evenly placed all around the fish, compared to a brick that only rests on the high side of the fillet. The water bag will evenly diplace weight around the fillet giving it an ideal curing pattern. Try it, you will be surprised with the difference.
I hope this tip finds you in good health. God bless
Raymond
About the debate on where this delish dish has gotten it's name from. The latin name for dill, the herb which you cover the salmon with while curing, is "Anethum graveolens". Could perhaps that name reveal something about why it's called gravad lax or gravlax? ;-) Lox, by the way, would come from the scandinavian languages' word for salmon, which is lax, for anyone who's interested.
/Tobias
I like making gravlax from either Atlantic or Pacific salmon. For me, the key is that it is wild, not farmed. There IS a difference.
All Atlantic salmon are farmed. Atlantic salmon is an extinct species in the wild, so the only ones which remain are farmed ones. They are an ideal farming species because they are the most agressive and are pushed to grow faster than they should.
Aside from the taste, there are very good ecological and health reasons to purchase wild salmon rather than farmed.
A variation: Use fennel seeds and Noilly Prat as an addition to the basic recepe. 2 times the amount of pepper. 2 tablespoons of Noilly Prat.
Next time I do this dish I'll try the cheese cloth method. I heard somewhere that packing the fish in plastic can be a problem, no oxygen gets to the fish and some bacteria are anaerobic.
Freezing fatty fish: pack them in water, the frozen fish will last longer(3-9 months) in the freezer as opposed to packing in air(1-2 months).
Freezing fish in water applies only to fresh fish, not prepared fish. I've frozen Gravad lsalmon and smoked salmon packed in plastic film and plastic bags. Max. 2 months before the fish gets an aftertaste from the skin.
Regarding a previous post about freezing smoked or cured salmon. If you feel about a bitter after taste, remove the skin before making gravlax or pre-slice it and wrap it (layer it) on waxed paper before covering it in plastic or tin wrap for freezer storage. It works great.
You can google up small companies in Alaska who ship fresh, frozen salmon direct to your door.
Farmed salmon are raised in pens and the waste falls directly to the bottom beneath them where it forms a layer that attracts many bacteria and other parasites. These farmed salmon have a far higher bacteria count than wild salmon - not good for something like gravlax. Not good at all...
Oh, if your store is selling "wild" salmon, one quick way to tell if they are really farmed is to just look at a number of them. If they are uniform in size and color, then they are farmed. Or perhaps you might see them in in only two sizes - male and female.
Wild fish vary considerably in length and girth. The flesh will have different tones from pale orange to dark red.
Oh, one other way to tell the difference occurs to me. All farmed Pacific salmon are Coho (sometimes called Silvers).
So if you see King (chinook) or Sockeye (Red) salmon, you can be assured it's wild fish. You wouldn't want to buy the chum (dog) salmon or Pinks for something like gravlax.
Of course, all commercially sold Atlantic salmon are farmed.
Keith, in Alaska
maybe i am biased....
but if you want to be authentic surely it has to be from the region the recipie comes from.
great site by the way.
How to know if the salmon bought in the supermarket was frozen long enough or at all?
Can you use regular iodized table salt?
Like the post above, How long does it stay good in the refridgerator after?
Thank you all
Ask your fishmonger at the supermarket. They will know the source of the fish and whether it has been deep frozen.
Yes
A tricky question to answer properly. I'll be conservative and say two weeks plus some common sense (If it starts to smell different, then it's probably not worth it to risk continuing to eat it).
It was easy and delish. Big, juicy and anchovie-like, smooth textured treats!
I served them with shots of Ouzo and a sauce made from roasted red pepper paste, tomato paste, olive oil, lemon, oregano and garlic, on toasted "artisan" bread. The liquorishy sweet taste of the Ouzo compliments the intensely salty taste of the fillets.
The recipe I used did not call for refridgerating or gutting the fish during the salting, but I did both since I am still a squeamish American.
Most salmon fillets come in a sealed, vacuum packed bag. You should first check if the package is air tight. Vacuum packing protects the product from air and the elements. The fillet should be tightly wrapped if vacuumed packed. If the fillet freely moves inside the package, the vacuum seal has been compromised. A clear sign that the package seal has been broken is evidence of ice crystals inside the package. Next, look for secondary freezing. Second freezing occurs during the shipping process. During international shipping, cargo boxes are opened and inspected. The fillets that are on the top of the crates are exposed to outdoor heat. Though the time exposed to outdoor heat maybe minimum, it is enough to de-thaw the outside of fillets exposed to it. Though the fillets maybe in sealed packages, you should look for evidence of discolored skin on the outer edges. Freezer burn is an act of over freezing or improper freezing. If the fillet has a shine of green-gold it is subject to freezer burn. Freezer burn fillets are edible if the damaged flesh is removed.
When buying in a frozen section of a grocery store, always look for a fillet that is pink-orange in color with no sign of discoloring on the edges. Asking a assistant about the origins of the salmon is futile. Always look for clues and clear signs that that fillet is edible and decent to make gravlax.
I got a FoodSaver vacuum sealer for my birthday and have been using it quite a bit for a variety of things. Reading through this thread, I realized that it might offer some advantages. Of course, there has also been discussion about cheesecloth and letting gravlax breathe - so a process sans O2 might not be such a hot idea. Plus, would the lack of air inhibit the aromatic properties of the dill? I just don't know. I did find one reference to doing this on the web, so I decided to give it a try....
I stayed basically true to the original recipe given here. 8oz salmon, 15g salt, 15g sugar, 2g pepper. I recalled seeing Daniel Boulud making gravlax on television and took a tip from him to make the salt layer a little thinner where the fillet tapers off.
The packaged dill was labled at 3/4oz and seemed to be about the right amount. I used some plastic wrap just to help me to keep everything together until it was in the vacuum bag.
Edit (Michael - 2008/09/07): DEAD IMAGE
Then I put the FoodSaver to it....
Edit (Michael - 2008/09/07): DEAD IMAGE
Under vaccum it appears that there is excellent contact to the salt and dill. I'll also have zero problems with juices running around since everything is sealed. I'll probably turn it a few times just because I can.
I haven't marinated anything und