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Gravlax or salt cured Salmon is a dish that traces its origin to Middle Ages. Back in the day, Gravlax was a way for Nordic tribes to preserve salmon. The method supposedly involved salting the salmon and burying it in the sand to ferment it.
Our recipe requires nothing this extreme. Our Gravlax is served alongside baked potato and crème fresh. It is a food match made in heaven paired with a glass of dry Champagne, such as Blanc de Blancs or Blanc de Noir.
The Gravlax curing mix is a contribution of one of our readers (thank you L.!) We hope she enjoys our interpretation of the dish and our wine pairing recommendations.
Make sure that you consume gravlax within a maximum of two days or freeze.
Course:
Main
Cuisine:
North European
Servings:
10
Wine Pairing Recommendations
This dish goes exceptionally well with Brut Champagne, Blanc de Blancs Champagne, Blanc de Noir Champagne .
Prep time:
5 min
Idle time:
3 days
Cook time:
45 min
Total time:
50 min
Gravlax Ingredients
- 2 lb salmon filet, skin and pin bones removed.
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 3 tbsp salt
- 10 medium size baking potatoes, such as Russet
- 1/3 cup crème fresh
- ½ tsp creamed horseradish
Gravlax Instructions
Fish to use in this recipe
We specifically recommend using commercially frozen fish in this recipe.
Why? According to Food and Drug Administration regulations, any fish that is to be eaten raw first must be frozen to – 18C. This is done to kill parasites.
Why commercially frozen? Because most household freezers cannot reach that temperature.
We use a “sashimi quality” salmon for this dish.
Method
- Combine sugar and salt in a bowl. This is the curing mix for salmon.
- Lay the salmon filet in a non-reactive container, large enough to fit the entire fish and have space around it. A casserole dish would do nicely. Pile the entire curing mix on the top side of the salmon filet and spread it evenly to cover the entire fish.
- Lay a plastic wrap over the top side of the filet and ensure it tightly clings to the fish. Next, place a cutting board or a smaller casserole dish on top of the wrap-covered fish and add some weights on top, such as a gallon of milk or heavy cans.
- Let the fish cure for three days
- On the day you are ready to serve fish, prepare baked potatoes.
- Heat the oven to 450F. Wash potatoes. Wrap each potato in tin foil and bake them till they are fork-tender about 30 minutes. To crisp the skin, remove the potatoes from the foil and put them back into the oven for another 15 minutes.
- While the potatoes bake, mix horseradish with crème fresh and set aside.
- Thinly slice the gravlax and serve with baked potatoes and the crème fresh.
Enjoy!
Recipe Tips
- Don’t have crème fresh? Not a problem. We like to make our own. Simply mix 1/3 cup of heavy cream with 2 tbsp of buttermilk and keep it in a warm place for two to three days. Store it in the fridge for up to two weeks after that.
- Make sure that you consume gravlax within a maximum of two days or freeze.