These taste plump, succulent and not overly salted.
Through the years, I have tried numerous gravlax recipes. Results have been dismal. From being totally inedible, to too gummy, leathery or salty. Most had to be binned. This recipe worked on first try! You don’t even have to put weights over the salmon as it cures. I use salt and sugar. I like the clean taste of just perfectly cured salmon and do not use dill.
This recipe comes from a friend who in turn got it from a friend in the food industry.
Great Gravlax
| Prep: | ~5 minutes |
| Cook: | – |
| Inactive: | 72 hours refrigerated |
| Level: | Easy |
| Makes: | However much you like |
| Oven Temperature: | – |
| Can recipe be doubled? | Yes |
| Make ahead? | Once salmon has been removed from its brine, it can be kept for up to 2 weeks (vacuumed sealed) refrigerated. After 2 weeks, it should be frozen (1 month). |
Ingredients1 cup =8.45 US fl oz =250ml
Ratio of sugar to salt in volume (not weight) is 3:1 sugar sea salt Sashimi-grade salmon |
Method
Prepare fish
1. Check fish for bones and remove any fish skin if any. Dry up with kitchen paper towel.
2. I often buy an entire side of a whole sashimi grade salmon. I then divide it into portions that are ~6″ X 3″ (15 X7.5)cm or thereabouts. I don’t cure them in too large a slab as once I open up a sealed pack of gravlax, I like to be able to finish eating that slab within a day (at most two days) and not give the opened pack of gravlax a chance to go bad.
Sugar and salt mix
1. How much of the mix you need depends on how much fish you have to cure. Estimate. All you need is enough to coat the exterior of the fish. The fish doesn’t have to be packed tight with the sugar-salt mix. If you find that you have made too much of the sugar-salt mix, keep it for future use. Do not decide to finish it off by spreading layer over layer of the mix on the fish. It might end up too salty as a result.
2. Sugar to salt ratio by volume (not weight) is 3:1. For instance, 3 Tablespoons Sugar to 1 Tablespoon Salt.
Sprinkle sugar and salt mix over fish
1. Be sure to sprinkle mix over the entire surface area.
Pack into food safe plastic wrap
1. As you wrap each slab in plastic wrap, try and get rid of as many air pockets as you can. Wrap it securely, double layering if necessary.
2. Set the wrapped fish on a vessel with some depth as the fish will weep liquid through the curing process.
3. Refrigerate for 72 hours.
After 72 hours
1. Remove from plastic wrap, discard pooled liquid, wipe gravlax dry.
(1) Eat it straight away
1. The Gravlax is ready for eating at this stage but I strongly recommend that you cure it for another day or two. I find that it taste better as it ages -best around the 10th day. It can be refrigerated up to 14 days from the day you remove it from its brine.
OR
(2) Repackage them to eat later
1. Either vacuum seal it (with a vacuum sealer machine – I love mine) or seal it tightly with a sheet or two of plastic wrap (removing any air pockets as you plastic wrap it).
2. Refrigerate promptly. Once salmon has been removed from its brine, it can be kept for up to 2 weeks (vacuumed sealed) refrigerated. After 2 weeks, it should be frozen (1 month) and will taste just as good.
Serve
1. I like gravlax served with thinly sliced onions, capers and lemon. You eat it however you like but it should be served cold/chilled.
Tips
As making Gravlax with sashimi-grade salmon can get expensive, try this recipe for the first time with a smaller slab, ~6″X2″ (15X5)cm.
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