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

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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