Holiday Salmon Gravlax

I've done this recipe before, back when my blog was new, and my followers were few and far between.  So I think this recipe was missed by a lot of people.

This is the perfect treat to make for the holidays, when you have guests over!

For those of you who are new to gravlax, gravlax is cured with salt, sugar, spices and dill.  Unlike smoked fish which is cured with heat and smoke!

It takes three days to cure, and is the most wonderful, sweet, soft and tender gravlax you will ever eat!

Recipe for two:

1 pound king salmon, skin on and pin bones removed
1/8 c good quality sea salt such as Eden or Maldon
1/4 c cane sugar by Rapunzel, available at Gourmet Galley
1 t fresh ground white pepper
1/2 fresh dill, stems removed

Lay the salmon skin side up on a cutting board.  With a sharp knife, make six slits across the fish, just cutting through the skin and not the meat.  It's best if you lay the knife flat on the fish to make diagonal cuts.  What we are trying to do is to make some pockets that we can pack in the ingredients.

Mix together all the ingredients.  Lay the salmon on a piece of parchment paper, and cover the whole fillet with the mixture, making sure to pack the stuff into the slits you made.

Wrap the fillet in the paper tightly, and then wrap it in plastic wrap.  Place on a flat plate, then place another plate on top the same way.  Now put a one to two pound weight on top, and bang it in the refrigerator for three days, turning daily!

If you also want the recipe for the picture to the right, just search gravlax on my blog.

Bon Appetit!  Chef Hobbes

Oven Toasts with Salmon Gravlax, Creme Fraiche, Capers and Red Onion

This is a Bristol little treat for the holidays, when you're having guests over for a glass of cheer!

Oven toasted slices of a rye baguette, if you can get it, otherwise use sourdough or farm house white, at 325* for 20 minutes, turning after 10 minutes.  Be sure to brush with a good amount of olive oil.
When they're ready, apply a little creme fraiche and capers.  Then lay some thinly sliced gravlax on, and garnish with thinly sliced red onion.  Now drizzle a little hot sweet mustard all over, and season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.  Yum!

Bon Appetit!

Killer Holiday Season Gravlax

This recipe for gravlax comes from an old friend from Napa, California, Cindy Pawlcyn.  Cindy learned this recipe from the New French Cafe...  It's the best gravlax you will ever eat, and you probably won't eat smoked salmon again!

Gravlax is cured, not smoked.  You can use any fish, but salmon and halibut are preferred because of the fat content.  The end result is a sweet, tender and tasty gravlax that melts in your mouth!

Let's make gravlax using king salmon.  First you need fresh fish for this, so trusting your fish monger is important.  I buy my fish here in Friday Harbor from Eric and Brenda at Friday Harbor Seafood, down on the fish barge located on the main dock.  These guys use to fish, so they know the business.

Recipe:
1 pound of king salmon, pin-boned and skin on
1/8 cup good quality sea salt, like Eden or Maldon
1/4 cup organic whole cane sugar from Rapunzel
1 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
1/2 bunch fresh dill, stems removed

First a word about sugar.  I don't use sugar because it's the root of most of our health problems.  But in some recipes we need it.  I found one that is pure and minimally processed, it's organic whole cane sugar, that's unrefined and unbleached, made by Rapunzel and is available at Gourmet Galley.

Watch the video on how to make this fantastic cured salmon.

Bon Appett!