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