I have been wanting to make my own gravlax for a long time. New Seasons had a special on fresh Chinook, so I couldn’t pass it up. Curing your own salmon is really easy, you will be thrilled with the results. If you’re making this for a party you need to begin the process about three days ahead. Don’t worry- your fridge does all the work.
- 1 fresh salmon filet – this is when you want the wildest, reddest salmon you can find
- 1 handful of fresh dill
- 1/4 C. Kosher salt
- 1/4 C. sugar
- 1 t. fresh cracked pepper
First cut your salmon filet in half. Combine the dill, salt, and sugar in a bowl. Rub the mixture all over the salmon filets.
Place one of the filet halves on top of the other half like a sandwich with the skin sides out. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap and place on a plate in the fridge. After 24 hours, turn the salmon over and leave it alone for another 24 hours. After 48 hours, remove the plastic wrap and wipe off all the dill/salt mixture with paper towels. The salmon is now ready to eat. Keep it wrapped tightly in the fridge for up to one week.
To make the canapes: Butter a few slices of dark rye. Top with thin slices of gravlax. Cut into itty, bitty squares. Top with a tiny dollop of creme fraiche or sour cream. Garnish with a fresh herb like thyme or dill. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
I think the sugar is the most surprising ingredient!! So gorgeous! The delicate little leaf garnishes make me so happy!
A thousand times yes. Once we were watching a cooking show and the guy was in one of those Northern European countries and I think he treated the fish for about 10 days using 3 tons of salt and one ton of sugar. Hmm, maybe my ratios are off.