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{{#seo:
|title=Gravlax, Fish recipe
|titlemode=replace
|keywords=#gravlax #dill #bones #salmonfillets #salmon #castersugar #juniper #spaghetti #refrigerate #pickled #crispbread
|hashtagrev=032020
|description=Gravlax or gravad lax (Swedish), gravad laks (Danish), gravlaks (Norwegian, Danish), graavilohi (Finnish), graflax (Icelandic) is a Scandinavian dish
}}

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'''Gravlax''' or '''gravad lax''' (Swedish), '''gravad laks''' (Danish), '''gravlaks''' (Norwegian, Danish), '''graavilohi''' (Finnish), '''graflax''' (Icelandic) is a Scandinavian dish consisting of raw [[salmon]] [[cured]] in [[salt]], [[sugar]], and [[dill]]. Gravlax is usually served as an [[appetiser]], sliced thinly and accompanied by hovmästarsås (also known as gravlaxsås), a dill and mustard sauce, either on bread of some kind, or with [[boiled potatoes]].

When I first made this and tasted it, I didn't like the taste and thought it rather odd. Over the next few days I had the odd nibble and started to change my mind, by the end of 1 week I was waking up in the middle of the night, sneaking down to the fridge for another slice. Do try this, it's brilliant!
{{recipesummary
|TotalCalories = 26
|PortionCalories = 26
|DatePublished=31st January 2013
|Author=Chef
|ImageComment = Gravlax, after 4 days
|Servings = 1 portion
|Difficulty = 2
|TotalTime = 4 days plus
|PrepTime = 4 days plus
|CookTime = None
|Image = [[Image:Gravlax, sliced.jpg|middle|none|alt=Electus]]
}}
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====Best recipe review====

''Scandinavian Simplicity''

5/5 

This couldn't be easier, or nicer. Clever, clever.

 [[User:PSmith|Paul R Smith]] 
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[[Image:Ikea Gravadllax.jpg|300px|thumb|right|If you want to taste-test it first, Ikea Food sell 200 g for £3.25 (2010)]]
{{RecipeIngredients
| 450 g [[Salmon fillets|salmon fillets]] (see Chef's notes)
| 2 tablespoons [[Sea Salt|sea salt]]
| 2 tablespoons [[Caster sugar|caster sugar]]
| 2 teaspoons [[Black peppercorns|black peppercorns]], freshly [[Ground|ground]]
| 2 teaspoons [[Juniper berries|juniper berries]], crushed in a [[Pestle and mortar|pestle and mortar]]
| A really big handful of fresh [[Dill|dill]]
}}
===Method===

{{RecipeMethod
| Discovering by touch, remove all [[bones]] from the fillet - folding it over and using a clean pair of pliers or [[tweezers]] to pull out the really obstinate ones. The [[bones]] are in a symmetrical pattern, so once you have found one, check the other side for its matching pair.
| Mix the [[Salt|salt]], [[Sugar|sugar]], [[Peppercorns|peppercorns]] and [[Juniper|juniper]] in a bowl
| Treating each fillet individually, cut a sheet of plastic-wrap about 3 times the size of the fillet and lay the fillet skin-side down in the centre of the plastic-wrap.
| Sprinkle the mixture over the fillet ensuring that you caver every part of the flesh.
| Now lay the sprigs of [[Dill|dill]] on the top of the fillet. Using whole sprigs, folded over, makes it easier to remove when we discard it at the finish.
| Wrap the [[Salmon|salmon]] tightly in the plastic-wrap and finish by wrapping in another layer of plastic.
| Place the fillet in a container to catch any escaping juices and [[Refrigerate|refrigerate]] for three days. Turn daily and drain any liquid that has escaped.
| After 3 days, unwrap, discard the [[Dill|dill]] and quickly rinse under cold water to remove all trace of the mixture.
| Pat dry with paper towels
}}
===Servings===
Serves 6 - Enough for 450g (1 lb) of [[Salmon fillets|salmon fillets]]
===Serving suggestions===
Slice very thinly at a 30° angle to the fillet
Serve on toast, [[Crackers|crackers]], [[Crispbread|crispbread]] etc. A squeeze of [[Lemon juice|lemon juice]] is the only extra that you are likely to need.
===Chef's notes===
Use [[Salmon fillets|salmon fillets]] (eg: thin) with the flesh cut parallel to the backbone, not [[Salmon steaks|salmon steaks]] (eg: thick) with the flesh cut down into the backbone.

Ignoring the above, I used 1 (375 g) salmon steak, sliced in half lengthwise, see picture. A mean, 'supermarket-sized' bunch of dill is just enough for this steak and the two combined will be a great way to try this recipe out. Bart spices now do juniper berries in small spice bottles, so hunt them out in the spices section.

There seems to be varying opinions as top whether the steaks should be weighed down. I have to say that from my experience of [[curing bacon]], weights enable more liquid to be drawn off without using excess [[salt]], so I'm in that camp! I've used non-metallic objects to exert an even pressure when the lid is closed, Weighed down between two plates would work fine, but you will have a fishy fridge that way.

Having made it, I would now be inclined to carefully slice the skin off before processing so the flavour can properly penetrate both side of the fillet.
===Step by step images===
<gallery widths=200px heights=200px perrow=5>
Image:Gravlax, removing pin [[bones]] with pliers.jpg|Removing the pin-[[bones]] with pliers
Image:Gravlax, steak cut in half.jpg|The steak, sliced in half, lengthwise
Image:Gravlax, cover with the cure.jpg|Cover both sides of the fillet with the cure
Image:Gravlax, lay the dill weed on top.jpg|Lay the dill evenly on top
Image:Gravlax, wrapped and placed in a lock and lock box.jpg|Wrapped in cling-film and placed in a lock and lock box
Image:Gravlax, use a non-metallic object to exert pressure.jpg|Using non-metallic objects to exert pressure when the lid is closed
Image:Gravlax, Dated and ready for 3 days refrigeration.jpg|Dated and ready for 3 days refrigeration
Image:Gravlax, sliced.jpg|My first attempt, after 4 days processing - success!
</gallery>
I combined my first gravlax with [[spaghetti]], [[cream cheese]] and [[sour cream]] to make [[Gravlax spaghetti cream|this amazing recipe]].
===Variations===
Try your gravlax in a [[Smoked salmon pancake stack]]!
===See also===
* [[Gravlax spaghetti cream|Gravlax spaghetti cream recipe]]
* [[Smoked salmon and crayfish parcels|Gravlax and crayfish parcels]]

{{RecipeLine}}
[[Category:Recipes]]
[[Category:Danish recipes]]
[[Category:Norwegian recipes]]
[[Category:Fish recipes]]
[[Category:Freshwater fish recipes]]
[[Category:Main courses]]
[[Category:Marinades dressings and butters]]
[[Category:Salad recipes]]
[[Category:Sea fish recipes]]
[[Category:Finnish recipes]]
[[Category:Snacks and light bites]]
[[Category:Starters]]
[[Category:Swedish recipes]]
[[Category:Ingredients]]
[[Category:Fish and seafood]]
[[Category:Prepared foods]]
[[Category:Uncooked]][[Category:Pickled]]
{{CategoryLineIngredients}}
<code 'hashtagrev:12032020'>[[Special:Search/gravlax|#gravlax]] [[Special:Search/dill|#dill]] [[Special:Search/bones|#bones]] [[Special:Search/salmonfillets|#salmonfillets]] [[Special:Search/salmon|#salmon]] [[Special:Search/castersugar|#castersugar]] [[Special:Search/juniper|#juniper]] [[Special:Search/spaghetti|#spaghetti]] [[Special:Search/refrigerate|#refrigerate]] [[Special:Search/pickled|#pickled]] [[Special:Search/crispbread|#crispbread]]
</code>

Gravlax - Revision history

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