Gravlax Sauce Recipes

Steps:

• Trim the salmon fillet, cutting away any thin uneven edges and the thin end of the tail (which can be reserved for something else).
• Make sure all the pinbones are removed--run your fingers up the fillet; if you feel any bones, remove them with a tweezer or a needle-nosed plier.
• Cut the fillet in half crosswise so that you have two pieces of the same length and roughly the same width.
• Mix the salt and sugar together.
• Sprinkle half the mixture over each fillet and rub it in with your fingers.
• Place one fillet in a glass (or other non-reactive) baking dish big enough to hold it.
• Drizzle about two tablespoons of cognac over each half, rubbing it in with your fingers.
• Spread the dill over the salmon half in the baking dish.
• Lay the other half fillet on top (skin side up).
• Align the two halves.
• Cover closely with a sheet of plastic wrap.
• Place a board or pan on top of the fillets.
• Make sure it is resting on the fish and not on the sides of the baking dish.
• Weight the top with something heavy (a large can of tomatoes for example).
• Place in refrigerator.
• After one day of curing, remove weights and board and turn fillets over(so the top fillet is now on the bottom) and baste with the liquid that has accumulated in the dish.
• Replace weights and board and return to frig.
• On the second day, turn and baste again and slice off a tiny piece to taste.
• If it doesn't taste like it's getting there, add a little more salt and/or cognac on the fish.
• Return to the fridge.
• Cure for a third day, turn and baste again.
• On the fourth day, you can serve the gravlax.
• To serve, clean the dill away and wipe the fish dry with paper towels.
• Use a long thin-bladed slicing knife (sharpened) and start slicing a few inches from the narrow end of the fillet.
• Cut with a back and forth sawing motion toward the narrow end to remove a thin slice of fish.
• Start each succeeding slice a bit farther in from the narrow end; always cut at a flat angle to keep the slices as long and thin as possible.

Steps:

• Pat the salmon dry with kitchen paper and run your hands over the flesh to see if there are any stray small bones - if there are, use a pair of tweezers to pull them out. Set the salmon fillets aside.
• Tip the salt, sugar, peppercorns, lemon zest, juniper and dill into a food processor and blitz until you have a bright green, wet salt mixture or 'cure'. Unravel some cling film but keep it attached to the roll. Lay the first fillet of salmon skin-side down and then pack the cure over the flesh. Drizzle with gin, if using and top with the 2nd fillet, flesh-side down. Roll the sandwiched fillets tightly in cling film to create a package.
• Place the fish in a shallow baking dish or shallow-sided tray and lay another tray on top. Weigh the tray down with a couple of tins or bottles and place in the fridge for at least 48 hrs or up to 4 days, turning the fish over every 12 hours or so. The longer you leave it, the more cured it will become.
• To make the sauce, tip all the sauce ingredients into a blender. Blitz until you have a thickened dressing.
• To serve, unwrap the fish and brush off the marinade with kitchen paper. Rinse it if you like. You can slice the fish classically into long thin slices, leaving the skin behind, or remove the skin it and slice it straight down. Serve the sliced fish on a large platter or individual plates with pumpernickel bread, dill and mustard sauce.

Steps:

• Cut the salmon in half crosswise and place half the fish skin side down in a deep dish. Wash and shake dry the dill and place it on the fish. Combine the salt, sugar, crushed peppercorns, and fennel seeds in a small bowl and sprinkle it evenly over the piece of fish. Place the other half of salmon over the dill, skin side up. Cover the dish with aluminum foil. Place a smaller pan on top of the foil and weight it with some heavy cans. Refrigerate the salmon for at least 2 and up to 3 days, turning it every 12 hours and basting it with the liquid that collects.
• Lay each piece of salmon flat on a cutting board, remove the bunch of dill, and sprinkle the top with chopped dill. With a long thin slicing knife, slice the salmon in long thin slices as you would for smoked salmon. Serve with dark pumpernickel bread and mustard sauce. You can also serve with chopped red onion and capers, if desired.
• 1/4 cup Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon ground dry mustard
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
• Combine the mustards, sugar, and vinegar in a small bowl. Slowly whisk in the oil and stir in the chopped dill. Serve with the gravlax.
• Yield: 3/4 cup

Steps:

• Make gravlax:
• Mix salt, sugar, and white peppercorns.
• Take a handful and rub it on both sides of the salmon. Place the salmon in a dish, and sprinkle the rest of the mix on top.
• Cover the salmon with dill, and let it stand for 6 hours at room temperature. Refrigerate for 24-30 hours, depending on how thick the salmon is.
• Make mustard sauce:
• Mix the mustard, sugar, and vinegar, and season with pinches of salt and pepper. Mix in the oil while you pour it in a steady stream. When the sauce has a mayonnaise-like consistency, stir in chopped dill.
• Slice the salmon off the skin in thin slices, and place them on a platter. Cut the skin in pieces, approximately 1/2" wide, and blacken them in a very hot cast-iron skillet. Decorate platter with lemon, dill, and skin.

Steps:

• Rinse salmon; pat dry with paper towels. Trim excess fat and bones, and pull out pin bones using kitchen tweezers.
• Combine fennel, sugar, salt, lemon zest, peppercorns, and caraway seeds. Line a rimmed baking sheet with plastic wrap.
• Spread a quarter of the curing mixture onto plastic wrap. Place 1 salmon piece, skin side down, on top. Rub salmon with half the remaining curing mixture, and drizzle with aquavit. Top with remaining salmon, skin side up, and rub with remaining curing mixture.
• Wrap salmon tightly in the plastic wrap. Set a baking sheet on top of salmon, and weigh down sheet with cans or bricks. Refrigerate, flipping salmon halfway through, for 1 to 2 days (the longer the fish cures, the denser the flesh will be).
• Unwrap salmon; discard liquid, and wipe off remaining curing mixture. Thinly slice salmon on the bias with a long, thin knife. Spread sweet mustard sauce on bread. Top with gravlax, onion, and fennel.

Steps:

• With a mortar and pestle, mix together salt, sugar, 2 teaspoons coriander seeds, and pepper. Place salmon fillet in a large baking dish, skin-side down and rub salt mixture all over the flesh side of salmon. Cover with plastic wrap, add a weight, and cover the entire dish with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 24 hours.
• Combine the mustards, sugar and vinegar in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Process to combine, then add the oil drop by drop until the mixture is thick.
• Wipe off salt mixture from salmon and rinse under cold water; pat dry and return to a clean baking dish skin-side down. Drizzle salmon with olive oil and vodka and sprinkle with dill and remaining 2 teaspoons coriander seeds. Cover, weigh down, and refrigerate for 24 hours.
• Remove salmon from refrigerator and wipe off excess marinade (reserving dill for garnish). Slice salmon into 1/4-inch thick slices, removing skin; keep refrigerated until ready to serve.
• Serve on bread, topped with Mustard sauce and reserved dill.

Steps:

• In a small glass or stainless-steel bowl, whisk together the mustard and water. Let sit for 10 minutes.
• Whisk in the mayonnaise, honey, 1/8 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon dill.
• Heat the broiler.
• Rub the salmon on both sides with the oil.
• Put the pieces in a broiler pan or on a baking sheet, skin-side down, about 2 inches apart.
• Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon dill, and the pepper.
• Broil the fish until golden brown and just barely done (the fish should still be translucent in the center), about 6 minutes for a 1-inch-thick fillet.
• Serve the salmon with the sauce alongside.
• NOTE:.
• Fish Alternatives,.
• Because it goes so well with the sauce, salmon is hard to beat for this recipe. However, other thick fillets, such as grouper, sturgeon, or halibut, can be substituted.
• Tip:.
• If you broil or roast salmon fillet with the skin and want to serve it skinless, cook the fillet skin-side down and then simply slide a large spatula between the cooked flesh and the skin and lift the fillet. It's especially easy if you don't oil the skin or pan so that the skin sticks to the pan. Line the pan with aluminum foil for easy clean up.