Gravlax
Skin-on salmon fillet, center-cut, previously frozen, juniper berries, crushed and gin come together in this seafood β 70 minutes, 8 steps, and the kind of result worth repeating. You'll find the full ingredient list (with a scaler to change the servings), 8 steps of method, substitutions, and ideas for what to serve alongside.
At medium difficulty across 8 steps, it's manageable with a little attention. As written, it's pescatarian β fish but no meat.
What you'll need
Shopping list (4)
Pantry staples (you likely have these)
π Unit converter
How to make it
- Use sushi-grade salmon that has been frozen at -20 C for at least 24 hours, since this cure does not cook the fish; thaw it in the refrigerator before starting.
- Run your fingers along the salmon and pull out any pin bones with tweezers, then pat the fillet completely dry with paper towels and leave the skin on.
- In a small bowl stir together the sea salt, sugar, crushed white peppercorns and crushed juniper berries to make the curing mix.
- Lay a large sheet of plastic wrap in a dish, scatter a third of the cure and a little dill on it, set the salmon skin-side down, then sprinkle over the gin and pack the remaining cure and the rest of the dill firmly over the flesh.
- Wrap the salmon tightly in the plastic, set it in a shallow dish to catch the brine, lay a board and a couple of cans on top to weigh it down, and refrigerate.
- Cure in the refrigerator for 48 hours, turning the parcel over every 12 hours and re-weighting it so the flesh firms evenly and the brine bathes both sides.
- Unwrap the salmon, scrape off the dill and cure, and quickly rinse under cold water, then pat thoroughly dry; the flesh should be firm and translucent.
- Set the fillet skin-side down and, holding a long thin knife at a shallow angle, slice the gravlax into thin wide pieces off the skin and serve chilled. Keep wrapped in the refrigerator and eat within 5 days.
Tips & common questions
How long does Gravlax take to make?
About 70 minutes from start to finish β an estimate based on the 8 steps and 7 ingredients. Times vary with your kitchen and how much prep you do ahead.
Can I scale this recipe up or down?
Yes β use the servings control above the ingredients and every quantity rescales automatically (fractions included). Cooking times stay roughly the same; very large batches may need a little longer.
How should I store leftovers?
Cool leftovers quickly, refrigerate in an airtight container, and eat within 3 days. Reheat until piping hot throughout.
Related recipes
Gravlax is an original recipe developed in-house by Consomee. Photo: Gravlax 2.jpg by Tiia Monto, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons. We add the serving scaler, ingredient tools, timing and structure on top β how we source recipes.