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1-1/2kg (3-4 pounds) fresh salmon, center cut, halved lengthwise and carefully deboned
Put 1/2 the deboned fish, skin side down in deep in glass dish. Spread dill over fish, Sprinkle dry ingredients (that have first been mixed and blended together) over dill. Top the other half of the fish, skin side up.
Cover with aluminum foil and a 2-1/2kg (5 pounds) stone and place in refrigerator for 48 to 72 hours.
Slice salmon on the diagonal.
Serve garnished with lemon and black pepper.
Author's Notes:
Poster's Notes:
I took off the heavy skin. It came out a bit butchered but I definitely think it was worth it. The spices did not have to soak through that heavy skin.
I first laid down a huge piece of Saran wrap, then the dill, then the spices. Then I turned the piece over and put the spices and then the dill. Then I covered the fish up with the Saran wrap. I then covered the pan with aluminum foil and then put my weights in plastic (tiles that my kids created and have been sitting around being just there and heavy) and put the weights on top of the aluminum foil. After each 24 hours of the marinating period, I turned the whole package over so that the weight was basically equally distributed.
Now, I started the process Erev Shabbat. Mistake. Because it cured by Monday night (72 hours) and it was frozen fish that I used, I could not freeze it for Shavuot. And I was scared to keep it for so many days in the fridge and serve it to guests and count on it. So, I started it last night.
As I said, I love it. No one else will touch it so I will probably not make it again. My blood pressure is probably happy about that, too because of all that salt. So, the moral of the story is that if you use frozen fish, time it properly. Otherwise, use fresh so that you are the master of the timing.
About the salt. I don't think that my piece of fish was 1-1/2 kilo so I think it was a bit too salty. Definitely be aware of the weight of the fish and adjust the recipe accordingly.
Posted by Adina Rosenstein
Nutritional Info Per Serving: N/A
2 to 3 large bunches fresh dill
1/4 cup coarse salt
1/4 cup sugar
2 tbsp. white peppercorns, crushed
Lemon wedges
Black pepper
Gravlax is a Scandinavian preparation of raw salmon marinated in salt, sugar, and spices.
I checked out the other recipes here in the archive and incorporated some tips.