Gravlax

Swedish Gravlax with Mustard Sauce (Gravlaxsås)

Classic Nordic cured salmon, silky and faintly sweet from a salt–sugar–dill cure, sliced paper-thin and served with a sweet mustard sauce. A traditional Swedish centrepiece for midsummer and the Christmas smörgåsbord.

Prep

20 min

Total

20 min

Serves

8 to 10 as a starter

Difficulty

Medium

Recipe ingredients

• •900 g (2 lb) salmon fillet, skin on, pin bones removed, one whole side of fresh Atlantic or wild Pacific salmon; for parasite safety, use fish graded sushi/sashimi quality — see step 0
• •75 g (⅓ cup) fine sea salt, non-iodised
• •40 g (3 tbsp) granulated sugar
• •15 g (¼ cup loosely packed) fresh dill, coarsely chopped (plus extra whole sprigs)
• •10 g (2 tbsp) crushed white or black peppercorns
• •30 ml (2 tbsp) aquavit or vodka, optional but traditional; replaces some of the Scandinavian classic spirit
• •30 g (2 tbsp) Dijon mustard, for the sauce
• •30 g (2 tbsp) sweet Swedish mustard (or honey), for the sauce
• •60 ml (¼ cup) neutral oil (sunflower or canola), for the sauce
• •30 ml white wine vinegar or cider vinegar, for the sauce
• •15 g (2 tbsp) finely chopped fresh dill, for the sauce
• •5 g (1 tsp) salt, for the sauce
• •5 g (1 tsp) caster sugar, for the sauce

Steps

1. 1 STEP 0 — Parasite safety: This recipe does not cook the fish, so if you are not using commercially farmed Atlantic salmon already labelled sushi/sashimi grade, freeze the fillet solid at -20 °C (0 °F) for at least 7 days (or -35 °C / -31 °F for 15+ hours) to destroy parasites. Thaw in the refrigerator before curing.
2. 2 Rinse the salmon under cold water and pat completely dry with paper towels. Lay the fillet skin-side down in a non-reactive dish just large enough to hold it.
3. 3 Mix the salt, sugar, crushed peppercorns and chopped dill in a small bowl. Sprinkle evenly over the flesh side of the salmon, pressing gently so the cure adheres and the flesh looks 'buried'. Drizzle the aquavit or vodka over the top.
4. 4 Cover tightly with plastic wrap, place a second dish on top, and weight with 1–2 kg (2–4 lb) of cans or a brick. Refrigerate for 48 hours.
5. 5 Every 12 hours, pour off any liquid that has pooled, flip the fillet, and re-cover with the weighted press. By 24 hours the surface should look firmer and slightly translucent.
6. 6 After 48 hours, the gravlax is ready: the flesh should be silky, pale coral, and yield to a knife with a slight resistance in the centre. If the thickest part still feels raw and soft, cure up to 24 hours more.
7. 7 Rinse the cure off under cold running water, then pat the fillet dry. Wrap in fresh plastic wrap and chill until serving. (Traditionally rested 24 h to allow flavours to mellow; ready to eat immediately if preferred.)
8. 8 Make the mustard sauce (gravlaxsås): whisk the Dijon, sweet mustard, vinegar, salt and sugar together, then slowly drizzle in the oil while whisking until emulsified and creamy. Stir in the chopped dill. Taste and adjust salt/sweetness.
9. 9 To serve, slice the gravlax on a long bias with a very sharp knife, cutting paper-thin slices away from the skin at a slight angle. Arrange on a platter with the mustard sauce, dark bread or crispbread, lemon wedges and a generous pile of fresh dill.
10. 10 Eat within 5 days, well wrapped in the refrigerator. Do not freeze the finished gravlax; the texture deteriorates.