Salmon cured in salt, sugar and dill for 48 hours, producing silky, intensely flavoured fish that slices like butter. Served with the classic Swedish hovmästarsås mustard-dill sauce.
Gravlax (or gravad lax) is one of Scandinavia's most elegant preparations — and one of its simplest. The name means 'buried salmon': historically, Scandinavian fishermen would salt salmon and bury it in the ground to ferment. Today's gravlax foregoes the burial but retains the dry-cure method, using a mixture of salt, sugar, white pepper and vast quantities of fresh dill applied directly to the raw salmon. After 48 hours in the fridge under a weight, the cure draws moisture from the fish and infuses it with flavour, transforming the raw salmon into something silky, translucent and deeply savoury — thinly sliced and served on rye crispbread or blinis with hovmästarsås, the classic sweet mustard-dill condiment.
Serves 8
Combine salt, sugar and white pepper in a small bowl. Mix well. If using aquavit or vodka, set aside.
Lay a large piece of cling film on a work surface. Spread half the dill in the centre. Place the salmon fillet skin-side down on the dill. Sprinkle over the aquavit if using. Spread the salt-sugar cure evenly over the flesh of the salmon. Cover with the remaining dill, pressing it into the cure.
Be thorough with the dill — it should entirely cover the flesh side of the fillet for the characteristic dill flavour.
Wrap the salmon tightly in the cling film. Place in a deep tray or dish skin-side down. Place a board or tray on top and weigh it down with tinned food or similar weights (approximately 2–3kg). Refrigerate.
The weight squeezes out moisture that the cure draws from the fish, accelerating the process and creating a denser, more concentrated texture.
Every 12 hours, unwrap the salmon and pour off the liquid that has accumulated. Turn the fillet over (skin-side up) and re-wrap. After 24 hours, taste a thin sliver from the thinnest edge — it should be pleasantly cured. After 48 hours, it will be fully cured throughout.
48 hours is optimal. After 36 hours the thinner edges are fully cured but the thickest centre needs the full 48.
In a bowl, whisk together both mustards, sugar and vinegar. Slowly drizzle in the oil while whisking continuously, as if making mayonnaise, until the sauce emulsifies and thickens. Stir in the chopped dill. Season with salt and white pepper. Refrigerate.
Rinse the cured salmon briefly under cold water to remove excess cure. Pat dry. Using a very sharp, thin-bladed knife, slice the gravlax thinly at an angle, cutting away from the skin. Arrange on plates with hovmästarsås, rye crispbread or blinis, capers, thinly sliced red onion, and crème fraîche.
Use sushi-grade salmon or freeze the fillet at -20°C for at least 24 hours before curing to eliminate any parasite risk.
A sharp, thin-bladed carving knife is essential for clean, translucent slices. A blunt knife tears the delicate cured flesh.
Gravlax keeps in the fridge for up to 5 days once cured.
Beetroot gravlax: grate 200g raw beetroot and mix with the salt-sugar cure. The salmon takes on a dramatic crimson hue.
Gin & juniper gravlax: replace aquavit with gin and add 1 tsp crushed juniper berries to the cure.
Citrus gravlax: add the zest of 2 limes and 1 orange to the cure for a brighter, more aromatic result.
After curing, gravlax keeps in the fridge for up to 5 days (wrapped tightly, without the fresh dill). Slice fresh when needed. Freezing cured gravlax is not recommended — the texture suffers.
The word 'gravlax' derives from Old Norse: 'grav' (grave, burial) and 'lax' (salmon). The original technique involved burying salted salmon in the ground, where natural fermentation would develop through lactic acid bacteria. This method was used by Scandinavian fishermen throughout the Middle Ages as a preservation technique. The modern, unfmented version uses salt-sugar curing only, developed when refrigeration made burial curing obsolete. Today gravlax is a cornerstone of Scandinavian smörgåsbord culture and one of Sweden's most internationally recognised dishes.
Properly cured gravlax is generally safe, but to eliminate the small risk of parasites, use salmon that has been frozen at -20°C for at least 24 hours (most commercial salmon is blast-frozen at sea). Pregnant women, the immunocompromised and young children should avoid raw or lightly cured fish preparations.
Aquavit is a Scandinavian spirit distilled from grain or potatoes and flavoured with caraway or dill seeds. It has a distinctive herbal, anise-like character that complements cured salmon beautifully. Vodka is a fine substitute. Both are optional.
Not necessarily, but use the freshest possible salmon from a reputable source. 'Sushi-grade' is not a regulated term — the freezing protocol described above is the key safety measure, regardless of labelling.
Per serving (100g / 3.5 oz) · 8 servings total
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