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Gravlax - Swedish Cured Salmon with Mustard Sauce
In Sweden it is an old tradition to serve Gravlax, cured salmon for holidays at the “Smorgasbord” both for Christmas and for Midsummer. It is also used as an appetizer any time of the year. Like most Swedes we make it ourselves as it is simple and tastes best that way. It pairs well with a crisp and aromatic Viognier.
GRAVLAX
Ingredients:
- 2 lb whole salmon filet with the
- skin, deboned
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 4 tablespoons salt
- 1 teaspoon crushed white pepper corns
- 1 big chopped bundle of dill
Directions:
Wipe the salmon clean. Ask the store to debone the salmon or pull out the bones with a plier, remove all surface fat and bones. Cut it in two pieces. Spread salt, sugar and pepper on one of the filets on the flesh side and then the chopped dill and place the other filet on top, flesh sides facing each other, skin side out. Put in a big plastic bag and leave the salmon in the refrigerator for 48 hours. Turn the salmon over a couple of times while in the fridge, every 12 hours or so.
Scrape off the herbs and cut the salmon in thin slanted slices or ½ inch thick straight cuts, free from skin. Prepare the mustard sauce before serving.
MUSTARD SAUCE
Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon honey mustard, if you do not have sweet mustard you can add some sugar
- 1 teaspoon Dijon, French mustard
- 3 table spoons canola oil or grape seed oil
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- salt and ground white pepper
- 1 bunch dill, chopped
Directions:
Mix mustard and vinegar, spice with salt and pepper. Drizzle in the oil under constant mixing with a fork. When the sauce is about the same consistency as mayonnaise, mix in the dill. Adjust seasoning with salt or pepper, if necessary.
Serve the gravlax in thin slices on lightly buttered toast, dark pumpernickel or crackers, drizzle a little of the mustard sauce and garnish with a slice of lemon and a sprig of dill. Or serve all pieces on separate plates and everybody can make their own gravlax crackers with mustard sauce.