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Prep time
10 minutes
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Cook time
6 hours
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Serves
a crowd
Author Notes
Gravlax is one of the easiest things you’ll ever make. It is, quite simply, uncooked salmon that is usually cured with a mixture of sugar, salt, pepper, and fresh dill. One time, a few years ago, I came home with a gorgeous side of salmon, but I had forgotten to buy the dill. It was late, and I couldn’t get back to the store before I had to get the salmon started, so I just made it without the dill. When I served the gravlax a few days later, my daughter said it was the best one yet. So, I’ve eliminated the dill from my recipe.
Make sure to buy only the freshest, “sushi grade” salmon. When in doubt, tell the person behind the counter that you’re not cooking it but curing it yourself, and ask if the fish they have in the case is suitable for home curing. A good fishmonger will give you an honest answer. (If the answer is “no,” then wait and make the gravlax another time.) Note: The "cook time" here refers to the initial cure. The salmon needs to continue to cure in the refrigerator for at least 2 days for its flavor to fully develop. —Margot Mustich
Ingredients
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3 cups
granulated sugar
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1½ cups
kosher salt
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2 tablespoons
white peppercorns
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1
side of salmon, skin on
Directions
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Mix together the sugar and the kosher salt in a medium mixing bowl.
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Place the white peppercorns in a strong plastic bag that you can seal shut. Place the bag on a sturdy work surface and give it a few quick shots with the flat side of a meat pounder. Add the cracked peppercorns to the sugar and salt. Stir.
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Line two rimmed baking sheets (half sheet pans are ideal) with foil and then with either wax paper or parchment. Set aside.
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Check to make sure that all of the bones normally found in the fish fillet have been removed. If any remain, pluck them out with a clean pair of tweezers.
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Spread a thin coating of the sugar mixture on one of the lined pans. Lay the salmon on the sugar mixture, skin-side down. Rub the cut side of the salmon all over, sides included, with enough of the sugar mixture to coat generously without caking. Cover loosely with wax paper and let stand in a cool place, at room temperature, for six hours.
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At the end of six hours, the cure will appear to have dissolved and there will be a fair amount of liquid on the bottom of the pan. Pat the salmon dry with some clean paper towels. Transfer to the other lined sheet pan. Cover with wax paper and then, tightly, with foil.
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Store in the refrigerator for at least 2 days before serving.
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Slice the salmon when cold. Arrange on a platter or on individual plates and serve with pumpernickel bread and sour cream or crème fraîche.
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