Salmon Gravlax Recipe | Sur La Table (2024)

FAQs

Do you need sushi grade salmon for gravlax? ›

Because of certain parasites found in fresh salmon, it is important to buy sushi-grade salmon or purchase commercially frozen salmon and thaw before use, as freezing for several days will kill any microorganisms present in the fish.

Like lox, gravelox is cured in a salt brine but, in the style of Scandinavian tradition, is seasoned with dill, salt, and sugar. Some gravelox preparations include horseradish, white peppercorns, juniper berries, and even aquavit! As you'd expect from the ingredient list, gravlax has a strong flavor.

It's loaded with omega-3 fatty acids, rich in nutrients like vitamin D and selenium, high in protein and low in saturated fat. It's also simple to prepare: you can grill it, bake it, poach it, pan-fry it… and, of course, you can smoke or cure it. Gravlax is a luxurious food you can easily make at home.

Many gravlax recipes will instruct you to drain, turn, and babysit the fish while it cures.

Yes you can, as long as you use high quality salmon (ie don't use vac packed salmon from the supermarket that's been sitting around for days or box packet frozen salmon from Costco or Aldi). Freeze it yourself to -10°F / -23°C for at least a week, or use commercial frozen salmon from a reputable fish monger.

Is It Safe to Eat? According to the FDA, gravlax is acceptable and safe for eating. When you're curing the salmon in the salt solution, it's done so in the refrigerator below 40°. Anything above that is when bacteria grow.

Because it is only lightly cured, the salmon retains a clean, bright flavor. It is not overwhelming salty or fishy. And the texture is pure silken luxury. Gravlax tastes like fancy party food, but because you can make it yourself, it is actually not as expensive as it appears.

Get Creative with Your Gravlax

You can also serve it on buttered brioche bread as an appetizer or as a simple hors d'oeuvre at your next dinner party. *NOTE: Though the fish in gravlax is “cooked” by acid, it is still considered a raw form of seafood.

Lox is a fillet of brined salmon, which may be smoked. Lox is frequently served on a bagel with cream cheese, and often garnished with tomato, onion, cucumber, and capers.

Serving – Our gravadlax is best served at room temperature and accompanied with a dill sauce. Storage – Keep product refrigerated and consume within 3 days of opening the packet (can freeze once opened if required). Packing – Long sliced and served in 100g or 200g packs.

Which country is famous for gravlax? ›

Gravlax is one of the few world-famous Scandinavian dishes out there, and while many know that it is basically prepared with salmon and herbs, few know its ancient, Arctic history. The origin of gravlax can be traced all the way back to 14th-century North-Sweden.

Every single gravlax recipe has instructions to weight the fish down during the curing ... the pressure on the salmon flesh presses the salt/sugar/dill mixture deeply into the fish and aids in the curing process.

On average, my samples started smelling a little fishy after about five days or so, not including the curing time itself. As a general rule of thumb, I'd plan to eat the gravlax within a few days after it's been cured, and stop eating it if you start to detect any off odors.

Serve it. Eat on its own with a squeeze of lemon, in sandwiches, or just simply accompanied by salad.

Your gravlax will be ready to eat after 24 hours, if you like, but will continue to dry out for up to about 5 days. After that, rinse off the cure under running cold water as minimally as you can, and pat dry with paper towels.

Use king or sockeye salmon from a good source. In either case, the fish must be spanking fresh. Gravlax keeps for a week after curing; and, though it's not an ideal solution, you can successfully freeze gravlax for a few weeks.

Technically, there's no official organization determining what cuts of fish are sushi-grade and which are not. The only true requirement is that the fish is frozen — and this requirement isn't even related to the “sushi-grade” label. It's simply an FDA guideline that applies to all wild fish sold for raw consumption.

It's not a good idea to eat raw, wild-caught salmon unless you know it's been flash-frozen first. Farm-raised salmon, especially fish that have been flash frozen, are your best bet for eating raw sushi that you bought at the grocery store.

Get the freshest salmon you can.

Since we're curing it and not cooking, you'll taste the freshness more than ever! I prefer wild-caught for my lox recipe, but any kind is fine as long as it's fresh, vibrant, and firm.