How To Cook Scandinavian Marinated Salmon (Gravlax) - Recipe

Author: Leticia Celentano Time for reading: ~2 minutes Last Updated: August 08, 2022

In this article, learn more about How To Cook Scandinavian Marinated Salmon (Gravlax) - Recipe. Learn how to cook "Scandinavian marinated salmon (gravlax)". Delicious recipe..

If you are not familiar with the term gravlax, this is a Scandinavian dish made from raw salmon seasoned with salt, sugar and dill.

The name comes from the Scandinavian words for grave or hole in the ground - grav and from salmon - lax, ie. salmon buried in the ground. In the Middle Ages, the dish was prepared by fishermen who salted salmon and buried it in the sand.

Required products :

about 2 kilograms of salmon fillet
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 tablespoon black pepper
2 ties dill

* Leather fillets are usually used for gravlax, but whether or not there is one is not particularly important for the recipe, so use what you can find in the store.

Method of preparation :

Scandinavians usually get fresh salmon bought in ports, which is the best option, but if you can't afford such a fresh fillet, you'll have to do some things:

Buy frozen salmon or freeze the finished gravlax for 7 days at at least -23 degrees to make sure you kill all the microorganisms on the less fresh fish.

It's time to pay attention to the preparation.

Rinse and dry the fillets with kitchen paper.

Inspect the fillet for small bones, if any, remove them with tweezers.

Cut the fillet in the middle into 2 parts.

Combine the sugar and salt and roll the fillets well on both sides to cover the mixture.

Wash and chop the dill, along with the stems.

Sprinkle the fillets with fresh dill and the seeds on the skinless side.

Then place one half of the fillet in a tray with the skin facing down and sprinkle with the remaining fresh dill. Put the second fish fillet on top, this time with the skin up, it will look like you have a big raw fish sandwich.

Cover with cling film and leave to marinate at room temperature for about 6 hours until the sugar and salt melt on the fillet. (Skip this step completely if you are cooking gravlak in hot weather).

Place a small pan on top and place a few stones or cans in it to squeeze the fillets.

Refrigerate for at least 48 hours to a week.

Turn the fillets every 12 hours to make sure they are marinated and flavored evenly in the juices separated in the pan. When you turn the fish over, then cover again with foil and squeeze with weight and store in the refrigerator.

Remove the gravlax from the refrigerator and clean most of the spices and dry with a towel.

This is the time when, if you do not use fresh fish (suitable for sushi) or pre-frozen from the store, you should wrap well in foil and store in a freezer at -23 degrees for 7 days.

Cut the fillet into thin slices, removing the skin, if any.

Serve the gravlax slices on slices of quality bread. It is traditionally served with a sweet sauce with dill and mustard, combines well with capers and finely chopped onions.

You can store the dish for up to 1 week in the refrigerator or for a month in the freezer.

How To Cook Scandinavian Marinated Salmon (Gravlax) - Recipe

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