Gravlax

Gravlax is one of those recipes that sounds impressive but asks almost nothing of you. Fresh salmon gets sandwiched around fresh dill, salt, sugar, and crushed white peppercorns, then sits under a weight in the fridge for two to three days while chemistry does all the work.

The salt and sugar draw moisture from the fish, firming the flesh and concentrating the flavor into something silky, clean, and deeply savory. White peppercorns give a milder bite than black pepper, which is traditional in Scandinavian curing.

Flip the fish and baste it with the accumulated juices every 12 hours. This redistributes the cure so the salmon seasons evenly from edge to center. By day three, the flesh will feel firm to the touch and look translucent rather than raw.

Slice paper-thin on the diagonal and serve on dark rye bread with lemon wedges and a dill mustard sauce.

Pro Tips

• Use the freshest salmon you can find. Since this isn’t cooked, quality matters more than in any other preparation. Ask your fishmonger for sushi-grade if available.
• A glass or ceramic dish is a must for curing. Metal reacts with the salt and can leave off flavors.
• The weight needs to be steady and even. A cutting board topped with a few cans works perfectly.
• Scrape all the dill and spices off before slicing. A sharp, long knife angled almost flat gives you the thinnest slices.

Variations

• Aquavit cure: Add a splash of aquavit to the cure mixture for a more authentically Scandinavian flavor with caraway and anise notes.
• Beet-cured gravlax: Grate raw beet into the salt-sugar cure for a stunning magenta color and earthy sweetness.