TDG: The Passionate Palate: Gravlax

[Gifted Gourmet]

When I enjoyed my special preperations this year for New Years Eve and New Years Day I realized that it was brought about due to this Posting early in December.

Being DOH I thought that this year i'd celebate Decadence Hands On with every item prepared for the occasion at home. Thru this posted topic I decided to share with eGullet.

Beverages: Dom Ruiniart Brut Champage from the anniversery edition of 1978

                Yunnan Pai Goh Brick Tea

Appetizers: White King Salmon Gravlex with Brandy Cure

                Red King Salmon Gravlex with Vodka Cure

                Fresh Mendocino Coast "UNI' on Rice with Seaweed

                Wild Mendocino Coast 6 inch Mussels [2 had pearls]

Entrees:    Live 3 pound Maine Female Lobsters Steamed

                Fresh Mendocino Morel Mushrooms with Veal Filet and Cream

              Whole Pousin Chickens with Washington Black Truffles and Shallots   

              under the Skin Roasted.

Soup:      Sharks Fin with Blue Crab Fat

Desserts: Valronha Chocolate Souffle with Frangelico and Chopped Hazelnuts

              Apple Strudel with Rasins Morrelo Cherries and Schlag

              Palachencha Pancakes with Apricot, Lingonberries and Cinnamon.

This was consumed over 2 days with visits from my Grandchildren and Family.

The Uni, Mussels and Morels were gathered by my son and sent by Air.

The Mendocino Coast supplys the premium Uni to Japan

The Mussels were taken from a location that had been used for Hundreds of years by the Indian Tribes where there are giant mounds of shells accumulated.

This celebration wouldn't have come about without the inspiration thru this topic. It seems that unstead of doing Gravlex rarely I now prepare it several times a month as it's healthy and not a expensive indulgence.

Irwin

Since, according to your comments here, my sensually stimulating article enticed, or possibly seduced , you to prepare your gravlax, and the other truly decadent dishes you describe here, shouldn't you add me to your guest list the very next time you have one of these festive blowouts??

I can fly out to wherever you live with due haste and offer you my digital camera proficiency to take stunning pictures (although I am no Tana Butler!!) of the event for either "Gourmet", "Bon Appetit", possibly even, "Field and Stream"!!

Thanks for enjoying the article and being energized by "Table Dance for the Gourmand", Irwin!!

I value your words, your opinions, and your style most highly!

[MHesse]

Portnoy just needed raw calve's liver.

[Gifted Gourmet]

Portnoy just needed raw calve's liver.

Thanks for confirming a brief thought I had while writing the article!!

[Rabbi Ribeye]

Hi, Kiddies!

Up for a challenge that might add a little piquancy to a charitable event?

Linda is director of Upstate Homeless Coalition of SC, working in 13 counties to develop affordable housing and transition homeless individuals and families into independence.

She's again running an hysterical fundraiser, "The Bridesmaid's Ball" on 2/28. Centerpiece of cocktail buffet, dancing, silent auction, entertainment, is "Bridesmaid's Dress from Hell" contest. You can imagine some of that horrific haute couture that finally gets liberated from the closet for one more night of glory. Last year an African American woman won, wearing the dress she did to her cousin's wedding -- Snow White in black-and-green velvet!

Well, I am handling a lot of the catering (for 250). Word got out about my gravlax (hey, this IS a small town), and it is in demand.

But here's the challenge:

Submit your best gravlax recipes to me. I, as a committee of one, will choose 3-4 of the more interesting ones and try to replicate them. Each will be identified by your name, we'll have a tasting-and-voting, maybe we'll rustle you up a little prize (I know what you're thinking: silent auction rejects!) . . . and let the frito misto be damned!

Interested? Send your best my way, and I promise you, there will be neither bagel nor cream cheese in a radius of 150 miles.

Skol! Jeg elsker deg!

[Gifted Gourmet]

But here's the challenge:

Submit your best gravlax recipes to me.  I, as a committee of one, will choose 3-4 of the more interesting ones and try to replicate them.  Each will be identified by your name, we'll have a tasting-and-voting

Ahhhh, yes, t'would appear that the good Rabbi has thrown down the "gravlax gauntlet" to us to be both creative and innovative regarding the preparation of this delicacy ....

could have been worse, at least he didn't include any of my sensually sexual references in his challenge!

and, will this "gravlax gathering" garner the accolades and NYT coverage of elyse's reknowned Burger Club??

Kind of reminds me of a very clever post here recently (by "marinade") at eGullet entitled "Salmon Chanting Evening" ....

Edited January 6, 2004 by Gifted Gourmet (log)

[wesza]

When I enjoyed my special preperations this year for New Years Eve and New Years Day I realized that it was brought about due to this Posting early in December.

Being DOH I thought that this year i'd celebate Decadence Hands On with every item prepared for the occasion at home. Thru this posted topic I decided to share with eGullet.

Beverages: Dom Ruiniart Brut Champage from the anniversery edition of 1978

                Yunnan Pai Goh Brick Tea

Appetizers: White King Salmon Gravlex with Brandy Cure

                 Red King Salmon Gravlex with Vodka Cure

                 Fresh Mendocino Coast "UNI' on Rice with Seaweed

                 Wild Mendocino Coast 6 inch Mussels [2 had pearls]

Entrees:     Live 3 pound Maine Female Lobsters Steamed

                Fresh Mendocino Morel Mushrooms with Veal Filet and Cream

               Whole Pousin Chickens with Washington Black Truffles and Shallots    

               under the Skin Roasted.

Soup:      Sharks Fin with Blue Crab Fat

Desserts: Valronha Chocolate Souffle with Frangelico and Chopped Hazelnuts

               Apple Strudel with Rasins Morrelo Cherries and Schlag

               Palachencha Pancakes with Apricot, Lingonberries and Cinnamon.

This was consumed over 2 days with visits from my Grandchildren and Family.

The Uni, Mussels and Morels were gathered by my son and sent by Air.

The Mendocino Coast supplys the premium Uni to Japan

The Mussels were taken from a location that had been used for Hundreds of years by the Indian Tribes where there are giant mounds of shells accumulated.

This celebration wouldn't have come about without the inspiration thru this topic. It seems that unstead of doing Gravlex rarely I now prepare it several times a month as it's healthy and not a expensive indulgence.

Irwin

Since, according to your comments here, my sensually stimulating article enticed, or possibly seduced , you to prepare your gravlax, and the other truly decadent dishes you describe here, shouldn't you add me to your guest list the very next time you have one of these festive blowouts??

I can fly out to wherever you live with due haste and offer you my digital camera proficiency to take stunning pictures (although I am no Tana Butler!!) of the event for either "Gourmet", "Bon Appetit", possibly even, "Field and Stream"!!

Thanks for enjoying the article and being energized by "Table Dance for the Gourmand", Irwin!!

I value your words, your opinions, and your style most highly!

Mellisa and Rabbi Mark: Since i've never provided any recipes [i've had over 50 requests] to Gourmet, Bon Appetit or any Food Publications even though I have always made many sublimal aphrodistic menus, even the first all garlic dinner that was repeated 3 times for all the produce buyers and wholesales convention by popular demand for Gilroy California biggest garlic grower. Or the Escargot Lisboa that was voted the best Snail Recipe in France that got my picture in Paris Match as being from Honolulu Polynesia? Even Caldarada that won 2 years in a row at McCormick Pier in Chicago. Finally my Squid Recipe that readers of Food & Wine, Bon Appetite and Gourmet requested calling it "That Terrific Noodle Dish", we were served at Lisboa.[but Tthats another story]. "Under the Skin Chicken" a favorite of Raymond Burr, Forbes and Brando ordered in various stars when returning back to their private islands plus the main final exam snack for Asian students at University of Hawaii.

But for Rabbi Ribeyes Mitzvah Function I'm ready and willing to provide my Gravelex Recipe thats even better the Authentic Nova Scotia Smoked Salmon or Lox, less salty and definately additive if your willing to get it together for the special occasion.

I know it works. The only other recipe I ever provided that made a difference was when I provided the original "Mama Leones" Lasagna Recipes as a boost for a good cause.

Anyone interested? It should be fun to pull it off together. I'm willing are you?

Mashugana IRWIN

[Rabbi Ribeye]

Gravlax purists need/ought not read this.

I personally vacillate between purist and pragmatist, especially when I get a fairly good deal (everything is relative) on high-quality salmon and find myself putting up 4-5 pounds of gralax at a time.

Occasionally, I will take half-a-side or so and convert it (euphemism chosen deliberately, as this may be the equivalent of converting a High-Church Episcopalian to Lubavitcher Chasid) to a most exquisite and delicate pickled lox/lax.

The brine is similar to that of the quintessential pickled lox at Russ and Daughters, but the gentle curing of the gravlax makes the results a little sweeter and more velvety. And thus, it may be served nekkid from the brine or napped in the traditional sour-cream sauce.

The aggregate processe of grav-ing and pickling the lax/lox take about a week. It requires particular patience for the pickling brine to work its fullest alchemy.

You might try it with some red potatoes boiled "in the jacket" or a really good pumpernickel, and of course, a shot of schnapps -- neat from the shotglass. Where do you think we are, Cafe Boulud? L'chayim!

Purists, again, may denounce my heresy. Perhaps I can regain your favor in knowing that, ever the traditionalist, I hand-grate the potatoes for my kugel and latkes, and I chop my chicken livers, no Cuisinart within eight furlongs.

Y'know, I cannot give the stuff away to my itzy-pitzy family (sushi-snoots though they may be), but my late momma woulda gone nuts for it. Any kindred spirits out there?

[Susan in FL]

Any kindred spirits out there?

Absolutely, but I could never put it into words like you do!

[KatieLoeb]

Any kindred spirits out there?

Absolutely, but I could never put it into words like you do!

Amen.

[Gifted Gourmet]

But here's the challenge:

Submit your best gravlax recipes to me.  I, as a committee of one, will choose 3-4 of the more interesting ones and try to replicate them.  Each will be identified by your name, we'll have a tasting-and-voting, maybe we'll rustle you up a little prize (I know what you're thinking:  silent auction rejects!) . . . and let the frito misto be damned!

Interested?  Send your best my way, and I promise you, there will be neither bagel nor cream cheese in a radius of 150 miles.

Skol!  Jeg elsker deg!

Although this challenge was originally issued in the early days of January by Rabbi Ribeye, and was rather lost in the verbal shuffle, I thought it rather appealing for those of us out here who consider their gravlax "variations on a theme" to be worth sharing ...

and, although he never actually says as much, I rather bet there is more involved here than his merely preparing and tasting a selection of new recipes for this delicacy du mer ...

Might there also be a wondrous new book curing on the shelves for next Christmas? or perhaps Chanukah??

Truly, The Gravlax Gauntlet has been thrown down for all of us here ....