WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS Gravlax, salmon that’s cured with sugar and salt and infused with sweet, slightly citrusy fresh dill, is a favorite throughout Scandinavia. Homemade gravlax sounds like it would require an extravagant time commitment and specialty tools and ingredients, but in fact it’s a supereasy and fun project that is an impressive make-ahead choice for a weekend brunch. For gravlax that was evenly moist, tender, and consistently seasoned, we drizzled the fish with brandy, coated it in brown sugar, salt, and dill, and then pressed and refrigerated it. The salt drew liquid from the fish and cured it, while the brown sugar counterbalanced the salt and added deep flavor. The brandy helped the rub adhere and also added flavor. We basted the fish once a day to keep it moist. Once it was finished, all we had to do was slice the salmon as thin as possible. This homemade gravlax is ready when the fish is no longer translucent and its flesh is firm, with no give.
Serves: 8 to 10
Total time: 25 minutes (plus 3 days curing time)
INGREDIENTS:
- ⅓ cup packed light brown sugar
- ¼ cup kosher salt
- 1 (1-pound) skin-on center-cut salmon fillet
- 3 tablespoons brandy
- 1 cup coarsely chopped fresh dill
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Combine sugar and salt in bowl. Place salmon, skin side down, in 13 by 9-inch glass baking dish. Drizzle with brandy, making sure to cover entire surface. Rub salmon evenly with sugar mixture, pressing firmly to adhere. Sprinkle dill over top, pressing firmly to adhere.
- Cover salmon loosely with plastic wrap, top with square baking dish, and weight with several large, heavy cans. Refrigerate until salmon feels firm, about 3 days, basting salmon with liquid released into baking dish once a day.
- Scrape dill off salmon. Remove fillet from dish and pat dry with paper towels. Slice salmon crosswise on bias into very thin pieces and serve. (Unsliced gravlax can be wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerated for up to 1 week.)
