A common ingredient in Scandinavian cuisine is gravlox. Some are created using vodka, like this one.
| Prep Time: | 1 hr |
| Additional Time: | 1 day |
| Total Time: | 1 day 1 hr |
| Servings: | 16 |
| Yield: | 2 pounds |
Ingredients
- 2 pounds salmon fillet, bones removed
- 4 tablespoons coarse sea salt
- 3 tablespoons light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon pepper
- 1 bunch fresh dill, chopped
- 3 tablespoons vodka
Instructions
- Drape plastic wrap over a glass baking dish. Cut salmon in half lengthwise, and place one half in dish, skin side down. Mix together salt, brown sugar and pepper. Sprinkle half of mixture over salmon in the dish, cover with the chopped dill, and pour the vodka over the whole mixture.
- Sprinkle the remaining salt mixture over the remaining half of salmon. Place over the salmon in the dish, skin side up. Fold the plastic wrap snuggly over the entire salmon. Place a board over the fish and weigh it down with a heavy object.
- Refrigerate fish for 24 to 36 hours, turning every 12 hours. To serve, separate the filets, and carefully brush off the salt, sugar and dill. Cut into very thin slices with a sharp knife.
Nutrition Facts
| Calories | 121 kcal |
| Carbohydrate | 3 g |
| Cholesterol | 34 mg |
| Dietary Fiber | 0 g |
| Protein | 11 g |
| Saturated Fat | 1 g |
| Sodium | 1356 mg |
| Sugars | 3 g |
| Fat | 6 g |
| Unsaturated Fat | 0 g |
Reviews
I have made this for years. I use a lot more salt and sugar and allow this to rest at least 5 days turning twice a day, weighted. Seems the longer it rests the more moisture is released and you get a smoother, slightly more dry slice. In my experience it matters not what you add to the set up, only the salt and sugar have effect
Loved the concept and end result of the salmon. Used dried dill but didn’t think the flavour came through enough. Will definitely be making it again with crushed juniper berries and gin instead of vodka. My husband smokes salmon using juniper berries which we enjoy very much
I have made Gravlax several times with a recipe that is pretty much exactly like this one. It takes a little nerve at first to get used to the idea of ‘raw salmon’…but of course this is cured and not really raw. It is flavorful and aromatic. I love this stuff.
This was good but blander than some other gravlox recipes I’ve tried. After reading multiple complaints about the saltiness, I did cut down the salt a little; perhaps that was the problem. If you do make it, let it marinate for at least 48 hours, if not more.
I tried to stick to the recipe. I used Svedka 100% Swedish vodka. I really like it. My fiillets were pretty thick, so I’m going to let it marinate at least 48 hours. Probably a little longer. I’m really digging this stuff!
This was very good. Firstly, if you changed the spelling of the name of this recipe to “grav lax” or “gravad lax” more people could find it and make it! I made it first time exactly as per recipe. Second time with less salt, and it was much better. I used 2/3 cup of sugar to 1/3 cup of salt – for 4 pound of salmon. The pepper, vodka and dill were perfect. Also you can leave it in the fridge to cure for up to 5 days. Delicious, thanks for posting.
Very Easy to make. To get rid of saltiness I rinsed completely in water, patted dry then put back in fridge for an hour befoe serving. Came out perfect. So much cheaper (and tstier) than buying from the store.
I found the finished salmon way overly salty. I rinsed thoroughly and patted dry, which resulted in a very tasty dish. However, it also lost its dill and pepper when I rinsed. Other than re-applying, any suggestions? Can the amount of salt be cut without compromising the curing process?
I have made this for several years now….I always litely rinse the salt off….enough of the taste goes into the fish….I make a big batch …we eat some at Thanksgiving, and then freeze some for Christmas
I made this without the vodka. Home cured Gravlox are wonderful. Will make again. Thank you Suzanne
excellent!!! melt in your mouth….jist cure at least 48-56 hours depending how thick the fillet is.
I’m a salt freak, so the saltyness of this doesn’t bother me so much, it was very good. If you don’t like too much of the salty flavor I would suggest putting the salmon in cold water for an hour or so after curing which will dissolve some of the salt. I served each piece on a cucumber slice, with goat cheese, and a few mini capers on top each.
Great recipe, you can mix it up a lot using trout fillets instead of salmon, juniper infused gin (or sloe gin) or tequila instead of vodka, white sugar instead of brown. It is always a hit at parties.
Outstanding Recipe. I have made it several times. Absolutely delicious.
My brother made this at Christmas. It was excellant and addicting.
Delicious and easy to make. The flavor was delightful.
This was good, but it was a bit too salty. I’m not sure how to solve that issue since the salmon has to be cured….any suggestions?
Simple and easy! Very flavourful. Can be made with any fish.