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–+ servings
Norwegian gravlax

Gravlax - Cured Salmon

Gravlax is easy to make and even easier to eat. The trick is to use the freshest salmon filets you can find and be patient while it cures.
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Course: Appetizer, Breakfast, Brunch
Cuisine: Denmark, North Western European, Norway, Scandanavian, Sweden
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Curring: 2 days
Total Time: 2 days 25 minutes
Servings: 25 Thin slices
Author: My Hungry Traveler

Equipment

  • Large bowl
  • Small bowl
  • Resealable plastic bag

Ingredients

  • 2 lb Salmon filet, skin-on, highest quality slice
  • ½ cup Kosher salt or sea salt (no iodine)
  • ¼ cup Brown sugar
  • 1 bunch Fresh dill
  • 1 tbsp Smoked paprika (Sub: sweet paprika)
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Remove any errant bones from the fillet. Rinse fish by putting it in large bowl of cold salt water for 10 minutes.
    In a small bowl, combine Kosher salt, brown sugar, and paprika.
    Remove salmon from water and pat dry with paper towels. Place salmon in a resealable bag and rub the spice mixture all over both sides of the fish. Add fresh dill.
    Seal bag and place in the refrigerator for 7-10 days to cure. Flip every 2 days.
    Remove cured salmon from the dish and rinse under cold water. Pat dry with paper towels and place fish on a wire rack set over a baking pan. Refrigerate uncovered until it is dry to the touch, about 3 hours.
    Salmon may be served as lox right away or cold smoked for 2-3 hours To serve, slice the lox on a slight diagonal into very thin slices (about 1/8-inch thick).
    Gravlax is great atop bagels with cream cheese, capers, and red onion or by itself with a sour cream-dill sauce. It can be enjoyed on its own as an appetizer, added to salads, sandwiches, and wraps. Try it thinly sliced into ribbons and tossed into fettuccine Alfredo

Notes

  • A liquid will develop during the curing stage. This is good. It means the fish is marinating in brine and absorbing flavors. It gets rinsed away at the end.
  • Cured salmon can be refrigerated, tightly wrapped, for about 7 days.
  • Smoked salmon can be frozen for several months by tightly wrapping in foil then placing in a resealable plastic bag. Defrost slowly in the refrigerator.
  • To smoke salmon, place in a smoker until internal temp reaches 130 degrees. Use either a cold smoker in the grill with top down or smoker set on low temperature. 

Nutrition

Calories: 62kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 0.4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 20mg | Sodium: 16mg | Potassium: 180mg | Fiber: 0.03g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 38IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 6mg | Iron: 0.3mg