Gravlax

Method

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1. Mix the salt, sugar and crushed peppercorns.

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2. Lay one salmon fillet skin-side down in a non-reactive dish and sprinkle over a third of the cure.

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3. Cover thickly with all of the dill, then sprinkle over another third of the cure and the aquavit if using.

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4. Lay the second fillet on top, flesh to flesh, head to tail so the thick end meets the thin one, and cover with the remaining cure.

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5. Wrap the whole thing tightly in cling film and set it in a dish that will catch the liquid.

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6. Weight it with a board and a few tins and refrigerate 48 hours, turning the parcel every 12 hours and draining off the liquid that collects.

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7. The salmon is ready when it feels firm all the way through and has darkened in colour.

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8. Scrape off the cure and dill, pat dry, and slice very thinly on a steep diagonal, leaving the skin behind.

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9. For the sauce, whisk the mustards, sugar and vinegar, then trickle in the oil while whisking until thick and emulsified. Stir in the dill and salt.

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10. Serve the gravlax with the sauce and rye bread.

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Chef’s Tips

• Equal weights of salt and sugar. Shifting the ratio either way changes the character completely.
• Weight it properly and drain the liquid, or the fish sits in brine and cures unevenly.
• Use very fresh salmon from a fishmonger you trust, or previously frozen fish, since it is never cooked.

Common Substitutions & Variations

• A dry vermouth keeps for longer than an open bottle of white wine and is the closer swap than a random white left in the fridge; for an alcohol-free version, use the same amount of stock with a squeeze of lemon.

Pairing Suggestions

• Rye bread or crispbread with butter
• Ice-cold aquavit
• Boiled new potatoes with dill

Storage & Reheating

Keeps 5 days refrigerated, wrapped, once cured. Sliced gravlax freezes 1 month.

Common questions

Nutritional Highlights

Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list. Treat these as an estimate — brands and cuts vary.