‘Gravad-lax’ means ‘buried salmon’ and refers to the ancient practice of wrapping salted fish in bark and burying it in the cold Scandinavian soil to preserve it through winter. While gravlax is normally prepared using a whole side of salmon, I have made it using just a small piece of salmon cut from the centre of the fillet (see video below); timing is the same, just reduce the curing mixture. The longer you leave the cure on the fish, the more moisture is extracted and the firmer it becomes. You can opt for a light cure of just 24 hours, then the result is more like seasoned sashimi; I like to cure it for 2–3 days. Serve a dark bread alongside the gravlax; I love Sonoma Bakery’s miche for it’s gorgeous dark blistered crust and lovely open chewy texture; it ticks the dark bread box without being crumbly and dry like heavy rye breads. The cure isn’t strong enough to preserve the fish for long, so slice as needed, wrapping the remainder tightly in fresh plastic wrap, and keep refrigerated for up to 5 days after removing the cure. Leftover gravlax is delicious in an omelette or tossed through scrambled eggs.
Serves 12 as a starter
Gravlax Curing Mixture
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