Best Barneys King Salmon Gravlax Recipes

GRAVLAX BY NIGELLA LAWSON

Steps:

• Place the salmon fillet, skin-side down, into a wide, shallow dish that fits the salmon snugly. (I used a 9X13 baking dish).
• Place the salt, sugar, mustard and gin into a small bowl and mix well until combined and a smooth paste is formed.
• Spread the mixture over the salmon to cover completely.
• Sprinkle the dill over the mustard paste. Press onto the paste so that no salmon flesh is visible.
• Carefully turn the fish over so that the skin is now facing up.
• Cover the dish with cling film/plastic wrap and press it down onto the top and edges of the fish before wrapping it around the sides of the dish. Repeat the process with another layer of cling film.
• Apply weight to the top of the fish to press it down into the dish, using filled jars or cans or any other weights.
• Transfer the fish to the fridge and leave for 2-3 days. (I did mine for the full 3 days).
• At serving time, remove the fish to a cutting board, skin-side down. Brush off the dill from the salmon.
• Using a sharp knife, carefully cut very thin diagonal slices of the salmon.
• Place on a serving dish and enjoy.
• Any remaining can be wrapped in cling film and refrigerated.

GRAVLAX

Steps:

• Lay both salmon fillets skin side down. Pull the pin bones from the fillets, if needed. Mix the sugar, salt, white pepper, and coriander together. Spread the mixture over both fillets, then scatter the dill on top with a splash of the rum. Sandwich the fillets together, skin side out, and wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Set the package on a baking sheet, and cover with another baking sheet. Weigh with 2 to 3 bricks or cans along the length of the fish. Refrigerate for 3 days, flipping the fish every 24 hours.
• On the third day, unwrap the fish, quickly rinse under cold running water, and dry thoroughly with paper towels.
• Slice the fish very thin and serve on black bread with mustard, onions, and capers, if desired.

EASY GRAVLAX

Steps:

• Combine the sugar, salt, peppercorns, and coriander seeds in a small bowl. Set aside. Place the salmon fillets on a parchment-lined work surface, and remove any remaining bones.
• Cover the flesh side of each with the spice mixture, gently rubbing it onto the flesh.
• Spread the dill on top of the spices; pour the aquavit or vodka over the dill.
• Place one fillet on top of the other, and wrap tightly in plastic wrap.
• Place the wrapped fillets in a glass or enamel pan. Place a heavy object, such as a canned good, in a smaller pan, and place on top of the fish. Transfer both pans to the refrigerator, and chill for 12 hours. Remove the fish from the pan; pour off the liquid that has accumulated in the pan and discard. Turn the fish over, and place the weighted pan back on top of the fish. Continue to refrigerate for 3 more days, turning the fish over every 12 hours.
• After 3 days, remove and discard the plastic wrap. Scrape the dill and spices from the surface of both fillets. To serve, slice each fillet on the diagonal, as thinly as possible. Wrap the remaining gravlax in plastic wrap, and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

JULIA CHILD'S TRADITIONAL GRAVLAX

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.

MARK BITTMAN'S GRAVLAX

Steps:

• Fillet the salmon or have the fishmonger do it; the fish need not be scaled. Lay both halves, skin side down, on a plate.
• Toss together the salt, brown sugar and pepper and rub this mixture all over the salmon (the skin too); splash on the spirits. Put most of the dill on the flesh side of one of the fillets, sandwich them together, tail to tail, and rub any remaining salt-sugar mixture on the outside; cover with any remaining dill, then wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Cover the sandwich with another plate and top with something that weighs a couple of pounds -- some unopened cans, for example. Refrigerate.
• Open the package every 12 to 24 hours and baste, inside and out, with the accumulated juices. When the flesh is opaque, on the second or third day (you will see it changing when you baste it), slice thinly as you would smoked salmon -- on the bias and without the skin -- and serve with rye bread or pumpernickel and lemon wedges.