Gravlax
גרבלקס·(grav-laks)
Sunday Morning Appetizing Spread (New York)
If you grew up associating Sunday mornings with the crinkle of white butcher paper, you know the magic of deli-style cured salmon. You don't need a smokehouse or a legendary Lower East Side storefront to replicate it. When Eastern European immigrants hit New York and found Pacific salmon cheaper than Baltic herring, they applied old-world Scandinavian curing methods to this new, vibrant fish. This is the uncorrupted classic: raw salmon, salt, sugar, fresh dill, and time. Ten minutes of work on a Thursday night buys you an unsmoked, buttery cure that melts against a fresh bagel by Sunday. Pure culinary alchemy, requiring nothing more than decent fish and patience.
Before you start
Source commercially frozen salmon.
For home curing, previously frozen salmon is highly recommended over "fresh-never-frozen" to ensure any aquatic parasites have been destroyed by commercial flash-freezing.
Remove the pin bones.
Run your fingers against the grain of the flesh before curing; if you feel any stiff pin bones, pull them out in the direction they point with clean tweezers.
Ingredients
- center-cut salmon fillet1 1/2 lb
- coarse kosher salt1/2 cup
- white granulated sugar1/2 cup
- fresh dill1 large bunch
- whole white peppercorns1 tbsp
- vodka or gin2 tbsp
Method
- 01
Mix the cure.
In a small bowl, combine the kosher salt, sugar, and crushed white peppercorns to create the 1:1 ratio that draws out moisture without turning the fish to leather.
- 02
Build the bundle.
Lay down two large, overlapping sheets of plastic wrap, scatter a handful of the chopped dill in the center, and place the salmon skin-side down on top of the herbs.
- 03
Pack and wrap the fish.
Sprinkle the vodka over the flesh, pack the salt and sugar mixture heavily over the exposed fish, press the remaining dill onto the cure, and wrap the bundle as tightly as possible.
- 04
Press and cold-cure.
Place the wrapped fish in a baking dish, set a flat plate on top, weigh it down with two heavy cans, and refrigerate for 48 hours, flipping the bundle halfway through.
- 05
Wash and dry.
Unwrap the dark, syrupy bundle, scrape off the dill and cure with your hands, rinse the salmon lightly under cold water, and pat it thoroughly dry with paper towels.
- 06
Slice on a severe bias.
Place the fish skin-side down on a cutting board and use your longest, sharpest knife to cut paper-thin, translucent slices at a sharp angle, leaving the skin behind.
Notes
The "Double Fillet" Trick.
If curing for a crowd, rub the cure on two center-cut fillets, pile the dill on one, and sandwich them flesh-to-flesh before wrapping and pressing.
Storage.
Wrapped tightly in fresh plastic or parchment, gravlax keeps in the coldest part of the fridge for up to seven days, or freezes beautifully for up to two months.
Avoid table salt.
Never use iodized table salt for curing; the anti-caking agents and iodine will impart a bitter, metallic taste to the delicate fish.