FEATURED ON TASTEMADE: Salmon Gravlax- Best Cured Salmon/Lox Recipe

Can’t find Salmon Lox for Rosh Hashanah this weekend? Make your own gravlax!

If you’re not familiar with gravlax, it’s a Nordic way of curing salmon using a sugar & salt mixture. It's similar to smoke salmon but this is cured (not smoked) and it also goes great with bagels, cream cheese, chopped onion, capers, and hard-boiled eggs.

This beautifully cured salmon is incredibly tasty and so easy to make. It takes about 10 minutes to put it all together and just let it cure!

And, by using quality salmon (wild, never farmed), you don't need a lot of seasonings that will mask up that wonderful salmon taste. I prefer a very simple recipe that features just 5 ingredients: salt, sugar, black pepper, fresh dill and whiskey.

Cured gravlax will last five days once sliced, in the refrigerator.

You can freeze leftover Gravlax by keeping it whole and vacuum sealing.

Many online sources recommend an even ratio of 1/2 cup of salt and 1/2 cup a sugar. But, there’s no magic ration, if you like more of a savory salmon use a salt-heavy brine and if you prefer sweeter dishes go a little heavier on the sugar.


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INGREDIENTS

1-2 lb wild defrosted frozen salmon (skin on, bones removed, sashimi grade, 1” thick or thicker, don’t use pink salmon because it’s too soft and more likely to be mushy)


Cure:
1/2 cup rock sea salt
1/2 cup brown sugar (minus 1 tbs)
1/2 - 1 tbs crushed peppercorns
2-3 tbs whiskey or cognac (I just used Jack Daniel’s Tennessee whiskey)
1 cup or 1 bunch of dill rough chopped

Two glass or pyrex pans (no metal)


MAKE THE CURE

1. Combine the salt, sugar and pepper in a bowl, set aside.

2. Soak the salmon in a little whiskey for about 15 min.

3. Score / make small cuts on the skin side of the salmon so the marinade will penetrate from below the salmon.

OPTIONAL GRAVLAX/DILL MUSTARD SAUCE TO DIP GRAVLAX:
1/4 cup poaching liquid
1/2 cup Mayonnaise (I subbed this completely out, and replaced this with sour cream, so 1 total cup of sour cream)
1/2 cup sour cream
2 tbs Dijon mustard
1 tbs white sugar
Chopped dill (as needed)
1 tbs lemon juice (splash, or as needed)

CURE THE SALMON

4. Lay a large piece of plastic wrap or parchment paper on the counter. Place half of the chopped dill in the middle of the sheet.

5. Sprinkle half of the salt mixture ontop of the dill. Place the salmon fillet skin down on
the dill and salt (make sure bottom is completely covered in salt/sugar mixture. Sprinkle the rest of the salt mixture on the flesh side of the salmon (you want to completely cover the salmon
evenly in a thick layer of the salt/sugar mixture). If you don’t have enough of the mixture, make more of the salt/sugar mixture to cover the salmon.

4. Lay the remaining sprigs of dill on top of the salt/sugar mixture.

5. Cover everything with several layers of plastic wrap or parchment paper and push it down with a weight or similarly sized Pyrex.

6. Let it marinate at room temperature for about half an hour.

8. Then refrigerate without disturbing overnight (total cure time can take anywhere from 12 to 48+ hours), be sure to turn the salmon the next day (after 12-14 hours). My piece of salmon took just a little over 48 hours so be sure to check it every day (it should be a little stiff but not super hard).

**Curing times can significantly vary depending on your preference for the level of curing in your salmon. For a more raw texture, an overnight cure may suffice. If you prefer a slightly more cured taste and texture, consider curing for 48 hours or longer. The duration also depends on factors such as the cut of fish, type of fish, thickness of salmon, and overall size and weight. Thinner cuts may cure overnight, while thicker ones may require an extra day or two. Adjust the curing time accordingly to achieve your desired result.


SERVE

9. Salmon is completely cured when the thickest part of the filet is firm to the touch.

10. Unwrap the salmon, discard the extra salt and dill (save the brine for an optional cream dip).

Rinse the filet under cold running water and pat dry with paper towels. I like to brush a little of that leftover brine juice over the salmon and sprinkle with fresh dill and black pepper.

11. Thinly slice salmon at 45 degree angle and use a super sharp fish knife.

Refrigerate any remaining gravlax immediately, wrapped in plastic wrap, for up to 1-2 weeks.