A little Scandi recipe for you this morning....

Gravlax (grav-lax) is a quintessential Scandinavian
dish, first taking hold 

in the Middle Ages when fishermen would fermented it
beneath the shoreline’s

 sand. Translating literally into “buried salmon,”
gravlax no longer requires

 fermentation, but is rather prepared in a dry
marinade that cures the salmon

 through a process of osmosis. The dish is
considered gourmet food by most
fine

 dining aficionados, and is regularly paired with arugula salads, toast or
crackers.

For every pound of raw salmon, you’ll need:

2 tbs salt

2 tbs sugar

2 tsp ground black pepper

1c. of dill

It’s important to use fillet cuts of salmon—meaning
the fish has been portioned 

parallel to the backbone. This minimises how many
bones are in the cut itself.

 Still, examine the salmon for any bones both by
looking at the fish and by feeling

s its surface. If you come across any
leftover bone, remove with needle nose pliers.

Next, you’ll want to place the salmon on a large
piece of plastic wrap—about four

 times the length of the portion—with the
skin-side facedown. Mix the salt, sugar

 and black pepper in a small bowl before
spooning it over the exposed flesh, 

ensuring that as much of the fish is
covered as possible. Without cutting the 

dill up, place on top of the salmon
fillet so that it runs the length of the fish.

 If the dill is too long, snap
off the ends or fold them onto each other. Our rule

 of thumb is: the more sprigs, the better.

Wrap everything together in the plastic wrap,
making sure that the bundle is 

seale tight. Then, take a second piece of
plastic wrap and cover the fish 

again. Laythis package inside a baking dish,
so that the juices from the 

curing process arecaught without making a mess.
Refrigerate the salmon 

for at least two days, whichboth allows the salmon to
cure as well as the 

flavours to set in. The longer you keep it untouched, the
more flavourful 

your gravlax will be.

Once the salmon is ready to come out of the fridge, open the wrapping
and remove

 the dill. Wash the salmon in cold water to remove the salt and
pepper and any 

leftover sprigs, then gently dry with paper towels

Image via:

Yum! in-fact this is something that I am going to do this weekend :)

Enjoy!

♥

L O V E N O R D I C