Making gravlax

[M.X.Hassett]

Directions for this :

Pour a couple of tablespoons of sake all over the fish, a little white miso paste...

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I will have to try this with a slight tweak of dark or red miso it might add some more hauntingly deep flavor. Hmmm...thinking out loud anyone ever try adding shaved bonito to gravlax or chevice (yeh I know they are different cultures but I find many similarities between the two methods of curing/cooking)? Anyone every try using the same method on whole or thinly sliced scallops?

[jamiemaw]

Oh drat and double drat!  So is it the consensus that previously frozen salmon is not going to work?

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We've had the best results from fresh, wild salmon, either small Spring (King) or sockeye. Fillets from a six to eight pound fish are about ideal for a 1.5 " to 2" slice breadth (depending on the bias cut) and are the most attractive for presentation of the whole side. Slowly thawed FAS (Frozen at Sea) usually works almost as well although denaturing may occur, where the freezing process can inhibit the solubility of the brining liquid.

I see that it was two years ago when this thread started, and that folks were still buying farmed fish at Costco. (Although gravadlax is probably the highest and best use of farmed product because it introduces flavour, the flesh is more susceptible to maceration due to its constrained environment (lack of exercise) and artificial feed.) Thankfully, more recently gained knowledge of the damage inflicted on our coastlines by fish farms through pollution and sea lice in our wild salmon populations has changed consumer opinion away from the purchase of farmed product.

Here's a favourite gravadlax recipe of ours, from Vancouver Cooks:

Citrus-cured Wild Salmon

with Blood Orange Vodka

Blood Orange Vodka

26 oz. bottle Vodka

2 to 3 blood oranges, sliced

1 stick cinammon

1 star anise

Place the ingredients in a bowl and refrigerate for two days. Saving the vodka bottle, after two days strian the mixture back into the bottle and freeze indefinitely.

Salmon:

1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp. brown sugar

1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp. sea salt

1 fillet wild Sockeye salmon, skin on, 3 - 4 lbs.

1 bunch Thai basil, cut into chiffonade

1 bunch mint, cut into chiffonade

1 lemon, juice + zest

1 to 2 tsp. coraiander seeds, crushed

3 oz. blood orange vodka

Combie 1/4 cup of the sugar and 1/4 cup of the sea salt in a bowl. Place salmon, skin side down, in a large casserole dish. Rub sugar/salt mixture over the entire surface of the salmon. Cover the dish tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for two days.

Unwrap salmon then sprinkle with the remaining sea salt and sugar, basil, mint, lemon juice and zest, coriander seeds and vodka. Wrap salmon tightly in plastic wrap (or cover salmon with plastic wrap and cover dish tightly with plastic wrap). Refrigerate for 3 to 4 days.

Unwrap salmon, rinse under cold running water. Pat dry with papaer towels.

Serve thinly sliced on dark or soda bread with creme fraiche and chives. Accompany with blood orange vodka, plain vodka, or pinot gris.

Edited December 20, 2005 by jamiemaw (log)

[KatieLoeb]

Here's a funny trick I learned from a chef.

You know how you can tell wild salmon from farm raised salmon?

The farm raised salmon have fins that have little divots taken out of them. When there are hundreds of fish struggling in the same man-made tank they tend to bite each other and take bites out of each others fins. Wild salmon look more pristine and perfect because they haven't been subjected to that.

[Abra]

Ok, I surrender. I'll either get a whole fresh salmon today, or make rillettes from my wild-but-frozen. It's sad because it's the most perfect, red, fat and juicy sockeye imagineable. Or, no, I rebel! What if I swim against the tide and do it anyway? How not-perfect can it be?

Jamie, that blood orange treatment sounds delectable. I haven't seen any blood oranges yet this year, I'll have to give another look.

[mtigges]

I suspect that the lax in gravlax/gravadlax actually means salmon in Norwegian, or another Scandanavian language. I have made it from both farmed and wild pacific salmon. From all species (coho, chinook, sockeye, even chum ... not so good). But I wonder ... couldn't a similar treatment be used on other fish? I suspect that char or some varieties of trout would work. Surely it's been done, and surely the vast collective wisdom of eG can enlighten me.

[KatieLoeb]

I suspect that the lax in gravlax/gravadlax actually means salmon in Norwegian, or another Scandanavian language.  I have made it from both farmed and wild pacific salmon.  From all species (coho, chinook, sockeye, even chum ... not so good).  But I wonder ... couldn't a similar treatment be used on other fish? I suspect that char or some varieties of trout would work.  Surely it's been done, and surely the vast collective wisdom of eG can enlighten me.

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I was thinking of trying to cure some tuna, just to see how it would work.

Or, no, I rebel! What if I swim against the tide and do it anyway? How not-perfect can it be?

It's going to give off a LOT of liquid. You'll have to turn and drain it more frequently and possibly cure it for an extra day or two to draw all the moisture out. If you've never made gravlax before you'll still be pleased with the end result. I've done it both with fresh and with frozen fish and there was a noticeable (to me) difference in texture. The gravlax made from previously frozen fish wasn't bad, it just wasn't as good as that made from fresh.

[jamiemaw]

Ok, I surrender.  I'll either get a whole fresh salmon today, or make rillettes from my wild-but-frozen.  It's sad because it's the most perfect, red, fat and juicy sockeye imagineable.  Or, no, I rebel!  What if I swim against the tide and do it anyway?  How not-perfect can it be?

Jamie, that blood orange treatment sounds delectable.  I haven't seen any blood oranges yet this year, I'll have to give another look.

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I'd give it a go. Just thaw the frozen fillets sl-ow-ly, on ice, in the fridge. Blood oranges are pretty prolific here right now, but I'm sure that other citrus, such as a combination of grapefruit and orange/mandarin, would do just fine.

Bon chance!

J.

[BeefCheeks]

There is, I believe, a very good gravalax recipe in the new book, BIG FOOD, which is about cooking well with ingredients you buy in bulk in places like Costco. Farmed is fine since you're curing it anyway; keep the skin on.

[rlibkind]

Abra, if you've got a good quality frozen fish already, go for it. It will make perfectly good gravalax. Perhaps not quite as fine as a perfectly fresh, in-season sockeye, but very good nonetheless.

Besides, someone please correct me if I am wrong (Jamie, you're the expert, are you reading?), but where does anyone get fresh wild salmon in late December? All the king and sockeye I see this time of year, at least here in Philadelphia, has been previously frozen. Some of it is very good quality fish, but it has been previously frozen. The season's over in Alaska, BC and PNW for king and sockeye, isn't it? Or is there an active fishery this time of year for those sub-species?

[carswell]

I suspect that the lax in gravlax/gravadlax actually means salmon in Norwegian, or another Scandanavian language.  I have made it from both farmed and wild pacific salmon.  From all species (coho, chinook, sockeye, even chum ... not so good).  But I wonder ... couldn't a similar treatment be used on other fish? I suspect that char or some varieties of trout would work.  Surely it's been done, and surely the vast collective wisdom of eG can enlighten me.

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Lax means salmon in Swedish. The verb grava means to pickle. However, some etymologists trace the grav- to the noun grav, which means grave, tomb, pit, hole.

All the gravlax I ate in Sweden was made from Atlantic salmon.

I was thinking of trying to cure some tuna, just to see how it would work.

It works fine. In his Quebec City resto, Laurie-Raphael, chef Daniel Vézina prepares ahi tuna gravlax style and serves it sliced with a deconstructed salade niçoise.

[jamiemaw]

Abra, if you've got a good quality frozen fish already, go for it. It will make perfectly good gravalax. Perhaps not quite as fine as a perfectly fresh, in-season sockeye, but very good nonetheless.

Besides, someone please correct me if I am wrong (Jamie, you're the expert, are you reading?), but where does anyone get fresh wild salmon in late December? All the king and sockeye I see this time of year, at least here in Philadelphia, has been previously frozen. Some of it is very good quality fish, but it has been previously frozen. The season's over in Alaska, BC and PNW for king and sockeye, isn't it? Or is there an active fishery this time of year for those sub-species?

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We can access fresh, wild salmon year-round, but I realize that is unusual. And knowing this isn't the case for most North American cities (well, OK, I was personally curious), this summer we ran side-by-side comparisons of both barbecued and baked preps, but not gravadlax (cured). The difference between slow-thawed FAS (Frozen at Sea) and very fresh (overnight) salmon was only slightly noticeable; the FAS product was very good.

In fact, I would argue that it is better than much of the so-called 'fresh' that is often shipped eastward. That fish may have been out of the water a week by the time it is consumed. That's why, like in any business transaction, we only buy fresh fish whole so that we can look it in the eye.

BeefCheeks   There is, I believe, a very good gravalax recipe in the new book, BIG FOOD, which is about cooking well with ingredients you buy in bulk in places like Costco. Farmed is fine since you're curing it anyway; keep the skin on.

With respect, I would argue strenuously here, as I have in numerous other threads on this subject that - although farmed product makes more than passable gravadlax (in fact, that's its highest and best use) - that the damage inflicted on our coastal ecosystems and biomass through pollution, as well as to our wild stocks through the contagion of sea lice, is simply far too big a price to pay in order to pay a (temporarily) smaller one at the checkout. So this winter, checkout FAS . . .

And take the cure!

Jamie

Edited December 21, 2005 by jamiemaw (log)

[Abra]

No farmed salmon in this house. So, bolstered by your various encouragements, I now have two matching sides of beautiful, silvery sockeye, skin intact and shiny, not a pin bone in sight, slowly thawing next the the rib roast that's dry-aging at 38 degrees. I will drain and turn it carefully and often, and give it extra time in the cure. And if it's not the ultimate gravlax, well, it'll be the first I've made, and I'm pretty sure it'll be scrumptious.

[Gifted Gourmet]

I was thinking of trying to cure some tuna, just to see how it would work.

post here on other fish to cure

Cured Snapper

Maple Cured Trout

Tasso Cured Red Snapper

[KatieLoeb]

Abra, if you've got a good quality frozen fish already, go for it. It will make perfectly good gravalax. Perhaps not quite as fine as a perfectly fresh, in-season sockeye, but very good nonetheless.

Besides, someone please correct me if I am wrong (Jamie, you're the expert, are you reading?), but where does anyone get fresh wild salmon in late December? All the king and sockeye I see this time of year, at least here in Philadelphia, has been previously frozen. Some of it is very good quality fish, but it has been previously frozen. The season's over in Alaska, BC and PNW for king and sockeye, isn't it? Or is there an active fishery this time of year for those sub-species?

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Bob:

I buy my gravlax salmon from Ippolito's. Theyll let me pick a fish and then filet both sides off for me so they match up like perfect little puzzle pieces. Works like a charm. Not sure if the fish is farmed or not, but the quality has never disappointed. I bought my last batch from them before Thanksgiving, not realizing they were indeed open on Sundays (a very good thing to know) until Greg told me in another thread.

[Bridgestone]

Checking in from Sweden, here. And right in the yearly high of home-gravlaxing, too!

1) Current recommendations in Sweden are to actually freeze all salmon before curing it. As someone else mentioned, it is to kill off any parasites living in the flesh. If the freezing and thawing affects the quality or texture of the fish, it won't hold a candle to the changes the sugar and salt cure will be doing and I personally don't notice a difference in the final product. The authorities also discourage all pregnant or nursing woman from eating "raw" (cured or cold-smoked) salmon due to the risk of a listeria infection. Some people get confused over here and mistakenly believe that freezing takes care of listeria but that's not the case...

2) Sure you can cure other fish and end up with a "gravad" product! Recommendations over here are to use neutral-tasting fish although I see people posting successful results with tuna. I've seen recipes for cured cod, cured arctic char, cured whitefish ("sik") and, of course, herring. The specific examples of "don't cure" that I've seen are pike and mackerel. And fish certainly aren't the limit. Cured tenderloins (beef, reindeer, elk, moose, etc.) are all available.

What I'll be preparing this year could be interesting for any home-smokers reading this: Najadlax. It's both cured/gravad and cold-smoked.

[Abra]

Thanks, Bridgestone, that makes me feel more optimistic. Now tell us a (lot) more about najadlax! Which comes first, the cure or the smoke?

[Busboy]

At the risk of being called a shameless self-promoter, I offer up my own opus on gravlax and it's natural companion beverage, which first appeared in the Washington Post food section.

I may have the recipes I attached stored somewhere in the computer, if anybody's interested. (bridgestone: note that the Swedish Embassy was consulted in during preparation for this article, so it must be accurate!)

Gravlax and Aquavit: A Scandinavian Cure

Gravlax and aquavit are a can't-miss combination that gives cooks at every level a chance to stretch their skills and please their palates. And, maybe because of the pair's Scandinavian origins, they're a great lift on a grim winter night. Gravlax feels exotic. It is raw fish, after all. But the beginner can easily make it at home, using utensils like pliers and a brick. A little salmon, a little spice and three days later you have a savory expanse of pink velvet ready to be sliced and served with anything from bagels and cream cheese to caviar and creme fraiche.

Aquavit takes a bit longer, so you might want to start that first. Vodka is flavored with aromatic combinations of citrus, spices and berries and then allowed to sit for one to six weeks. If you can't wait that long for something to go with your gravlax, drop by the neighborhood bouzerie for a bottle of your favorite flavored vodka or for aquavit itself and you're all set for a big night or a wild brunch.

In the beginning, salmon was cured by burying fish over the long Scandinavian winter -- putting the "grav" in "gravlax." The result was so vile that early Swedish trade-unionists made its banishment from workers' meals one of their first demands.

Aquavit began as kind of a Nordic moonshine, unflavored grain spirits used for medicinal purposes, hence its literal translation as "water of life."

Eventually, the people of Scandinavia -- led by the Swedes, according to Swedish embassy chef Tim Manelius -- developed new techniques to make what was to become a signature combination more palatable and more potable.

For the gravlax, salt -- in combination with sugar and other flavoring agents -- was rubbed into fillets of fresh salmon, preserving it by drawing out the moisture and firming cells. For the aquavit, citrus peels or local fruits were dropped into the spirits. One day, perhaps because there was nothing left in a February larder, somebody put the two together and a tradition was born.

Manelius hews to that tradition. Every year he cures hundreds of pounds of gravlax for embassy events, relying on the basic salt, sugar, pepper and dill combination. It's a taste of home for Swedish diplomats and an entree to the Swedish culture for guests, but it's so simple that he says, "It's hard to write about. It's not that interesting of a dish [to prepare]."

The chef at New York City's Aquavit restaurant, Marcus Samuelsson, takes a more eclectic approach, sending endless variations on the basic gravlax theme out of his three-star kitchen. "If you feel like something Asian," he asks, "why not try ginger and soy sauce?"

Once you get the process down, you too can riff. Cure the fish with the salt/sugar mixture for two days, but without the dill. Then, scrape off the excess salt and add the next round of flavorings. I like grated lime peel and cumin, others swear by fresh fennel and parsley. Try tequila, gin or aquavit -- just add a couple of teaspoons per pound, and let your fish sit overnight.

And don't stop at salmon. Any firm, oily and fresh fish will do. Halibut yields a beautifully textured gravlax, dense yet translucent. Red trout goes the other way, almost mousse-like as you slice it away from the skin. Experiment until you find a match of fish and flavoring that suits your mood.

Aquavit presents similar improvisational opportunities: the basic recipe is often embellished with berry, citrus or spice. Pour a liter of vodka into sealable container a little larger than a liter, add flavoring, seal and wait -- from one to six weeks.

I'm impatient -- I'm usually into the aquavit within the week. In contrast, Samuelsson maintains that aquavits should macerate for six to eight weeks before straining and serving, to develop their full depth of flavor.

At my house, experiments are ongoing. Skoal!

[Bridgestone]

Abra - Najadlax is cured first (salt, sugar, dill and perhaps some juniper berries and/or gin) and then cold-smoked. I'll be using some Morello cherry wood that I have in the shed but the more authentic choice is probably either alder or juniper.

Busboy - I see you write that you flavor your gravadlax with cumin. That's an interesting twist that I haven't seen in Sweden. I ask, though as many Swedes often mistakenly call caraway "cumin" and caraway seems like more of a natural/common flavoring. Another very nice spice to try (if venturing away from the traditional sugar/salt/dill) is coriander.

[Busboy]

Abra - Najadlax is cured first (salt, sugar, dill and perhaps some juniper berries and/or gin) and then cold-smoked.  I'll be using some Morello cherry wood that I have in the shed but the more authentic choice is probably either alder or juniper.

Busboy - I see you write that you flavor your gravadlax with cumin.  That's an interesting twist that I haven't seen in Sweden.  I ask, though as many Swedes often mistakenly call caraway "cumin" and caraway seems like more of a natural/common flavoring.  Another very nice spice to try (if venturing away from the traditional sugar/salt/dill) is coriander.

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Sometimes I do it straight, and sometimes I play around. Since I had to submit recipes with the article, I decided to something different, as the standard gravlax recipe is easy to find.

[BryanZ]

Made some Earl Grey and clementine gravlax a couple days ago and just unwrapped it today. This was my first time making gravlax and it is relatively tasty, but too salty. The flavors of the tea and the citrus come through beautifully but the salt overpowers the flavor of the fish itself. I think that I oversalted the fish or perhaps cured for too long since the fish was drier and firmer than I thought it would be. Next time I'll add less salt and go for like a 36 hour cure.

Out of the plastic wrap

Rinsed

Sliced

[Abra]

It looks beautiful, BryanZ. Maybe when you have it on bread, with a non-salty sauce, it will be perfect.

Najadlax sounds wonderful!

[Jmahl]

Looks beautiful. My experience has been 24 to 48 hours max. in the cure. More hours in the cure - more salt in the flesh.

In any case, gravlax, you have to love it. A culinary gift.

[BryanZ]

I've found that the slices cut from the "meatier" side of the fillet are less salty. All in all I'd say it was a successful first attempt.

[9lives]

It's a great idea.  Vodka, Aguavit lots of variation - maybe gin.

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Another variation using another form of alcohol is this southwestern variation ... mix of lemon and lime zest, a touch of cilantro, crushed coriander, crushed, dried habanero, and a sprinkling of tequila along with the sugar-salt mixture.

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I've made this with great success.

I find gravlax to be a practically sure "winner" to serve at a party. It's amazingly easy..and people are shocked when they ask for the recipe.

I don't use the rinsing method.

For slicing, I use a thin bladed sharp carving knife...cut on the angle with 1 slice..no "sawing motion."

[Abra]

I have to say that I think you all might have been right about the frozen salmon. Here's my gravlax after 48 hours

Not salty, and not dry. I have the other half still curing under weights, and I'm hoping for a deeper cure. This was delicious, sort of mi-cuit in texture, but not exactly what I was expecting. It didn't drain much water at all, so I was thinking there'd be no problem, but it's still quite moist.