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1 Comment The ultimate festive recipe is a beautiful gravlax or cured salmon. For this version I chose to use beetroot to cure the salmon which gives it an insanely pretty red color.
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Gravlax recipe
Gravlax (also called cured salmon, gravad lax or gravad lachs) is a traditional Scandinavian recipe where salmon is cured in a mixture of salt, sugar and fresh dill. Now you can choose to go for the original but I felt it would be fun to make a beetroot cured salmon. Making your own gravlax might sound intimidating but it is actually not too difficult. It does require a lot of time as the raw salmon needs to cure for around 30 hours. You want that time for the flavors to get into the salmon and for the beetroot color to really shine.
What do you need for homemade gravlax
The main element of this dish is of course the salmon. Picking a good quality beautiful piece of fresh salmon (sashimi grade) with the skin on is the most important part of this recipe.
For the curing mixture you need:
- cooked beetroot
- fennel seeds
- chervil
- sea salt
- sugar
For the curing mixture you place all the ingredients in a food processor or blender and make into a smooth puree. It’s easiest to place the salmon in a shallow baking dish which would support the entire piece of salmon. Now place the salmon with the skin down in the tray and spread your curing mixture on top of the salmon. Cover with plastic wrap and marinate in the fridge for 10 hours. Now turn the salmon over and make sure the marinade is well distributed over the salmon. Let it sit for another 20 hours in the fridge. The cure time might vary a bit depending on the size of your salmon.
My salmon was 800 grams or a little less than 2 pounds.
Next step
Once the salmon has cured for 30 hours you remove it from the fridge and rinse the salmon fillet under running cold water to remove all the sugar mixture. Using paper towels pat the salmon gravlax dry. Your salmon is now ready to serve. The only thing left to do is slice it with a very sharp knife into very thin slices. Also make sure there are no pin bones left in the salmon.
How to serve the gravlax
Basically you can serve the gravlax like you would any other smoked salmon dish but I love using it with some rye bread, crispy crackers and place some cream cheese on top. You can sprinkle a little lemon zest or lemon juice over the top and serve with fresh herbs.
Traditionally it is served with a mustard-dill sauce and that is always a good option but I love adding a little horseradish and sour cream too. A thinly sliced red onion is also delicious.
Questions asked about gravlax
Once the salmon is cured you can keep the gravlax in the fridge in an airtight container for at least a week
The biggest difference is that smoked salmon is smoked and gravlax is not. Gravlax is cured using salt, sugar and – in this case – beetroot.
While the salmon is cured it is still essentially raw fish and probably not a good idea for pregnant women to eat.
It can take from 24 to 72 hours to cure the salmon properly. Depending on size and weight of the salmon.
Love salmon?
Make sure to check out also the below salmon recipes if you do!
Gravlax with beetroot
Ingredients
- 500 g beetroot cooked and drained
- 1 tbsp fennel seeds
- 1 bunch chervil
- 500 g sea salt
- 250 g sugar
- 800 g salmon with skin good quality or sashimi grade
How to make the gravlax
- Place the beetroot, fennel seeds, half a bunch of chervil, salt and sugar in a blender and puree until smooth. Place the salmon in a large bowl with the skin side down and spread the puree on top. Cover with cling film and marinate in the fridge for 10 hours.
- After 10 hours, turn the salmon over and make sure the marinade is well distributed over the salmon. Leave to marinate for a further 20 hours. Remove the marinade from the salmon by rinsing with water and patting dry with kitchen paper. Cut into thin slices.
- Serve with crusty bread, cream cheese with a little horseradish, cucumber and a little chervil. The salmon will keep in the fridge for at least a week.
Notes
Nutrition Information per portion:
Disclaimer:
The nutritional values above are calculated per portion. The details are based on standard nutritional tables and do not constitute a professional nutritional advice.
One of the best looking dishes there is. Not only tasty but apart from the time needed it is easy to do too!