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Gravad Lax

Category: Fish

Author: The Savvybearcat

Date: 1/1/2007

Rating:

(3.0) by 2 users

Ingredients:

1 small Salmon, whole (about 2-3 lb)

MMMMMSWEDISH RECIPE I

2 tbsp White peppercorns (or a mixture of equal parts white peppercorns and allspice berries)
4 tbsp Salt
2 tbsp Sugar
2 Dill bunches

MMMMMSWEDISH RECIPE II

1/4 cup Salt
3 tbsp Sugar
2 tbsp Pepper, white
4 tsp Allspice
3 tbsp Gin
2 Dill bunches

MMMMMENGLISH RECIPE I

2 tbsp Salt
2 tbsp Sugar
3 tbsp Peppercorns, white
2 Dill bunches

MMMMMENGLISH RECIPE II

2/3 cup Salt
1/2 cup Sugar
20 Peppercorns, white

MMMMMMAITRE'D SAUCE

3 tbsp Mustard, dark, French, coarse-ground
1 tbsp Sugar
1/2 tsp Salt
1 pinch White pepper, ground
1 tbsp Vinegar
6 tbsp Olive oil
6 tbsp Dill

Instructions:

Get a whole fish, clean it and remove the head. Split into two
filets, removing the backbone but leave the skin on. Dry off the
filets and remove all the little bones.

Crush the peppers and seasonings in a mortar, add the salt and sugar.
Mix well and press the mixture into the filets.

In a glass or ceramic dish, put some dill on the bottom, then one of
the filets, skin side down, then more dill, then the other filet,
skin side up. Put the thick side of one filet against the other's
thin side. Cover with plastic wrap (NOT ALUMINUM FOIL) and put a
cutting board or similar on top with some weight on it (e.g. a couple
of beer cans).

Put it in the refrigerator for a day or so. (Thin filets are ready
in 1 day, thicker in 2 days.) Turn the filet over once or twice
during this time. Pour off the brine, otherwise the fish will be too
salty. The fish will keep for a week in a refrigerator after pouring
off the brine.

Make the sauce, Maitre'd sauce. Mix together the mustard, sugar,
salt, pepper and vinegar. Add the oil drop by drop as if making a
mayonnaise. Add the dill. Let the sauce sit for about 10 minutes.

Cut off either thin (nearly horizontal) slices, or thick vertical
slices, to taste. (Don't cut through the skin). Serve as an appetizer
on thin slices of buttered rye bread (with a little lemon juice and
some finely chopped dill), or as a main dish with boiled new potatoes
and Maitre'd sauce.

NOTES:

* Swedish dill-cured salmon -- Gravlax uses a salt-sugar mixture to
cure the fish. The fish is flavored by dill and whatever else is
handy. (I've used gin, Julia Child has used cognac).

I've gathered these versions of the recipe from several sources. From
"Ver Cokbok" (the Swedish equivalent of "Joy of Cooking" or "Mrs.
Beeton.") From a brochure published by the Swedish Information
Service. From a booklet written by Tore Wretman, who owned a major
restaurant and has published several cookbooks of his own. Gravlax is
like barbecue, a process that you follow, but can vary considerably.

Don't skimp on the salt. The proportion of salt to fish is important
to preserve the fish. Here are several variations on a single basic
recipe. Yield: Serves 3-4.

* You can broil or grill thick slices of gravlax. After you've eaten
the salmon, you can also cut the skin in thin strips, sear them
briefly on the skin side, and serve them as a garnish.

: Difficulty: easy once the fish is prepared.
: Time: 5 minutes preparation, several days aging.
: Precision: measure the ingredients.

: Martin Minow
: Digital Equipment Corporation, Maynard, Mass., USA
: Minow@thundr.dec.com minow%thundr.dec@decwrl.dec.com

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