Gravlax with Mustard Sauce

Gravlax

Gravlax
Makes two sides of gravlax
This recipe makes enough curing mix for two 2 – 3 pound sides of filleted salmon. You can easily make the recipe with a 1 – 2 pound salmon fillet: cut the curing mix in half and the curing time to 24 to 36 hours. Once cured, gravlax should be stored in the refrigerator or freezer. I crack the peppercorns in a mortar and pestle, but you can also do it by whacking the peppercorns with a meat mallet.

2 2 -3 pound sides of filleted salmon, skin on
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup coarse salt
1/4 cup black peppercorns, cracked
1 cup roughly chopped dill
2/3 cup citrus vodka

Wash and dry the salmon fillets and remove any pin bones (I use stainless steel needle-nose pliers for this task). Cut off the belly flaps and as much of the tail end as is necessary for the fish to fit in a 9 x 13” glass or stainless steel baking pan. Reserve the salmon trimmings for another use.

Mix together the sugar, salt and peppercorns; this is the curing mix. Lay the sides of salmon skin side down in the baking pan. Rub half the curing mix into each side of salmon. Spread the dill out on one salmon side. Drizzle 1/3 cup of citrus vodka over both salmon sides, being careful not to wash away the curing mix. Quickly flip the salmon side without the dill so it is on top of the other salmon side, flesh sides together.

Cover the baking pan with plastic wrap. Place an empty glass or stainless steel baking pan on top of the plastic wrap and fill it with canned goods to press down the salmon. Put in the refrigerator.

Every 12 hours, remove the fish from the refrigerator, turn over the salmon, put weight back on the fish, and return it to the refrigerator.

Cure the fish for 2 – 3 days. Scrape off the dill and peppercorns with your fingers. Pat the gravlax dry, and store it in the refrigerator or freezer until ready to use.

To cut the gravlax, hold the knife at an angle and cut 1/8" thick slices of fish on the diagonal.


Mustard Sauce

1.5 T white wine vinegar
1.75 T sugar
1/2 cup olive oil
5-6 T dijon mustard
1 T chopped fresh dill (I think I usually put in more)
1 heaping T freshly ground white pepper

Whisk sugar and vinegar until sugar dissolves. Add olive oil slowly and whisk until incorporated. Add mustard, dill and pepper. Refrigerate.