Swedish Gravlax (Cured Salmon)

About This Recipe

Gravlax is Scandinavia's most elegant preparation — raw salmon cured with salt, sugar, dill, and sometimes aquavit for 48 hours until it transforms into silky, deeply flavored slices of pure luxury. No cooking required; time does all the work. Served thinly sliced with mustard-dill sauce on crispbread or rye, it's the centerpiece of every Swedish smörgåsbord and Christmas table.

Ingredients

Serves 8

• 800 gskin-on salmon fillet, pinbones removed
• 3 tbspcoarse sea salt
• 2 tbspsugar
• 1 tspwhite pepper, coarsely ground
• 1 largebunch fresh dill, roughly chopped
• 2 tbspaquavit or vodka (optional)
• 3 tbspDijon mustard (for sauce)
• 2 tbsphoney (for sauce)
• 3 tbspfresh dill, finely chopped (for sauce)
• 2 tbspwhite wine vinegar (for sauce)
• 1/3 cupneutral oil (for sauce)

Instructions

1. 1

   Cure the salmon

   Mix salt, sugar, and pepper. Lay half the dill on a piece of plastic wrap. Place the salmon skin-side down. Sprinkle the cure mixture all over the flesh. Lay remaining dill on top. Drizzle with aquavit if using.

2. 2

   Press and refrigerate

   Wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Place in a dish. Put a heavy weight on top. Refrigerate for 48 hours, turning every 12 hours.

3. 3

   Make the mustard sauce

   Whisk mustard, honey, vinegar, and dill together. Slowly drizzle in oil while whisking until emulsified. Season with salt.

4. 4

   Slice and serve

   Scrape off the dill cure. Slice the salmon very thinly against the grain, at an angle. Serve with mustard-dill sauce, crispbread, and lemon wedges.

Variations

• •

  Add beet juice to the cure for a stunning purple gravlax

• •

  Use citrus zest instead of aquavit

• •

  Cure with fennel fronds instead of dill

• •

  Vegetarian: swap the protein for roasted king oyster mushrooms, smoked tofu or cooked chickpeas — adjust seasoning slightly upward to compensate.

Storage

Refrigerate cured salmon up to 5 days. Freezes well before curing.

Frequently Asked Questions