The Ritual Master Hello friends ! and welcome to the third day of our Advent Calendar !
Immersing myself in the Scandinavian culture, I was obviously going to be preparing some delicious food. And one of my favourite things to eat is a buttery and delicate slice of salmon gravlax.
The history of gravlax is a story in itself : imagine some Norwegian and Swedish fishermen digging holes in the sand above the high tide line, and burying freshly caught salmon for a few days. It was a combination of cured and fermented fish, not likely to be found in modern day recipes, but it was as ingenious as it was rudimentary, and proof that simplicity is often a sign of elegance when it comes to gastronomy.
For my recipe, I prepared a 700 grams filet of salmon, descaled and patted dry, in a mixture of 250gr of sea salt, 250gr of blonde sugar and a roughly chopped bunch of dill. You can easily forget the dill if you’re not a fan or if you simply don’t have any at hand. There are also recipes involving some grated beetroot that will colour the outside layer of salmon in a bright pink, I haven’t tried them yet but there’s still time…
I laid my fish skin side up on a generous bed of the marinade mixture, and covered it with the rest. Make sure all of your fish is well covered by the dry mix, so that it draws moisture from all sides. Then cover either with a lid if you’re using a large tupperware like I did, or cling film, and place in the fridge for 24hours.
The next day, you’ll find your salmon bathing in a thick brine, so rinse it under the tap, and if you find some of the dill still sticks to it, just let it be. It’s a love story, so don’t interfere too much !
My gravlax sauce is not a traditional one, I’m mixing some sour cream with whole grain mustard and some honey, salt and pepper and fresh herbs : dill and chives are my choice of the day, but it would be delicious with parsley or tarragon as well. I made no measurements, but I would say 3 tablespoons of sour cream for 1 tablespoon of mustard, 1 teaspoon of honey and for the herbs, salt and pepper you can wing it.
You can make a nice potato salad with asparagus and salmon gravlax, but my favourite is an open faced sandwich inspired by the Danish Smørrebrød (sme~bõ) : on a slice of whole rye bread, I’m spreading some gravlax sauce, before covering with fresh and crispy watercress.
This is my favourite green leaf, with its delicate peppery taste and slight hint of sunflower seed, I find it compliments the salmon perfectly. Cover with some thin slices of gravlax and a few more dollops of sauce and you’ll have yourself a Scandinavian treat. Make it in individual bites for a cocktail party, serve it as an entré for your Christmas meal, or treat yourself on a regular evening with a dinner fit for a queen.
Until tomorrow, bon appétit !
