Gravlax

Well! I certainly had quite a bit of excitement over the weekend. I spent lots of time outdoors enjoying the refreshing and very much welcome spring weather, (do I dare let myself believe it's finally here?) I cured my first ever salmon with much success, AND...there was the small matter of a second degree burn. Yes, it's true, my (poor) right middle finger... in an unfortunate cooking incident involving a saute pan and high heat. I'm fine...and I say fingers BE DAMNED, for I have cured a salmon!

The recipe came from Food Network Canada and what appealed to me most about it was the use of citrus.

Deb's notes:

I DID try to follow the recipe as it was written, this was my first time curing salmon and I was afraid to mess it up or worse, waste food AND money by doing something experimental with things I knew nothing about. Next time, I will make more modifications. I did not use only sea salt. I only had kosher salt and about a quarter of a cup of sea salt, so sea salt played a minor role here. Next time I'll replace the lemon with another lime. (I love the smell of fresh lime, it reminds me of Grenada and my Grandmother's backyard). I don't use lime all that much in my cooking and I should use it more, it's really fabulous. It's interesting to note here, that of all the citrus used, the two dominant flavors that I detected were that of the lime and the grapefruit. I served the Gravlax on slices of pumpernickel and rye bread that had been spread thinly with some European style butter. I topped each half sandwich off with a tiny spoonful of this stuff. Nothing fancy or expensive about it, it was $3.99 for 100 grams and quite a nice touch even if it wasn't real caviar. I also served it with a tomato salad and a mushroom salad, both of which were very easy to make. The tomato was red onion, chopped sage, salt and pepper, malt vinegar, and sunflower oil. The mushroom was drained canned mushrooms, fresh tarragon, sunflower oil, malt vinegar and salt and pepper.

I would do this again, it was that (unbelievably) easy. The hardest part was just the waiting time for the salmon to cure. I think it's pretty economical too, I mean...let's face it, I balked at the initial expense of the salmon, (and really, you don't have to use such a big piece) but considering how many meals I can make from this, and the fact that I'm going to share some with my family, makes this less expensive per pound than what I could buy it for at the market. Not bad.

From Food Network Canada ~ CITRUS GRAVLAX OF ATLANTIC SALMON Yield:10

Recipe courtesy of David Lee, Executive Chef and Owner, Splendido. Yield is 10 servings. When curing the salmon fillet, use more of the salt mixture at the thicker part of the fillet (head) because not only is it thicker but it also has a higher fat percentage of fat so it will take more time to cure. Use less of the salt mixture at the thinner part of the fillet (tail) because it is leaner and will take less time to cure. Chilling the salmon fillet before serving will make it easier to slice.

• 3 1/2 lb. salmon fillet with skin on, cleaned and bones removed
• 1 cup old fashioned dark brown sugar
• 1 cup Sel de Guerande, or kosher salt
• 1 cup coarsely ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup coarsely ground juniper berries
• 2 large Florida pink grapefruits, peeled and thinly sliced
• 2 oranges, peeled and thinly sliced
• 1 lime, peeled and thinly sliced
• 1 lemon, peeled and thinly sliced
• 1 1/2 bunches (about 3 cups) fresh dill, 1 bunch roughly chopped, the remaining dill finely chopped

Assembly

• Sunflower oil, for drizzling
• Freshly cracked black pepper
• 2 tbsp finely chopped fresh dill

Directions:

1. Cut the pith from the citrus peels.

2. Combine the sugar, salt, black pepper and juniper berries in a medium bowl. Stir to mix thoroughly. Put a large piece of plastic wrap (large enough to wrap the fillet) on a board. Sprinkle half the salt mixture on the plastic wrap. Lay half the citrus slices on top of salt mixture. Sprinkle half the dill on top of the citrus slices. Put the salmon fillet, skin side down, on top of the dill. Cover with the remaining dill and citrus slices. Cover the salmon with the remaining salt mixture.

3. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

4. Cover and seal the fillet in the plastic wrap. Wrap the fillet tightly with another layer of plastic to create an airtight seal. Put the salmon on the parchment-lined baking sheet. Put a weight on top of the salmon, such as another baking sheet or cake pan with a few full tin cans or you can use two bricks wrapped in tin foil. Refrigerate for 24 to 36 hours, flipping the salmon fillet after 12 to 18 hours during the curing time. This will help cure the salmon evenly.

Assembly

1. Remove the salmon fillet from the plastic wrap. Rinse the fillet under cold running water to remove the salt mixture, the dill and the citrus slices. Handle the salmon carefully to prevent the fillet from cracking. Place salmon fillet, skin side down on board. Lightly drizzle fillet with sunflower oil. Rub oil gently to coat the entire top of fillet. Evenly sprinkle fillet first with freshly cracked black pepper and then with finely chopped dill.

2. Wrap the salmon fillet in plastic wrap and place on a baking sheet. Chill in the refrigerator until firm, about 1 to 2 hours. Slice the salmon crosswise and on an angle, as thinly as you can.

Written by Deb on April 14, 2003 12:04 AM