My gravlax experiment, begun on Saturday, concluded last night with a delicious dinner, the cured salmon being what I consider an unqualified success (much different from my first attempt, back in April, which was a salty as the Dead Sea).
Some background. The title of this post is a bit of a redundancy. The "lax" in the word "gravlax" actually means salmon in the originating Scandinavian languages. The "grav" means grave in those same languages. A literal translation of "gravlax" is "grave salmon." However, to the average North American eater, the word salmon provides something of an idea as to what might end up on your plate.
Gravlax is a cured raw salmon. In appearance, it is similar to cold smoked salmon, though the texture is a little different, and the flavour significantly so. Historically (think the middle ages), salmon was salted and buried in sand (hence the connection to the grave) above the high tide line and allowed to ferment as a way of preserving the salmon for later consumption. In modern times, the fish is no longer fermented, but "buried" in a combination of salt, sugar and herbs/spices and allowed to cure for at least 24 hours, but up to several days.
The end result is a delicately salted, unctuous, beautifully textured bite where the true star is the excellent, fresh salmon you start with. Done properly, the texture is neither mushy (like cold smoked salmon or sashimi can be), nor dry (like salted fish usually is). It is smooth, and velvety, and almost melts in your mouth.
When looking to make gravlax, the internet is little help. Recipes vary widely. Look at enough of them and you get some ideas, but until you actually cure the salmon, you don't know for sure what the end result will be. Balance of sugar and salt is key. If you go too far with the salt, you end up with a tough, dry product. Too far with the sugar, and it is mushy and unpleasant in texture, and not properly cured. However, there is a lot of room for personal taste in finding that balance. Recipes range from a 2:1 sugar to salt ratio to the complete opposite - 2:1 salt to sugar. Anything in that range *should* work, but texture, flavour, and how long it will keep might vary significantly.
Beyond the salt and sugar, dill and black pepper are extremely traditional, though other flavour elements can be used. Some recipes call for citrus, some for liquor (vodka or aquavit, usually). Basically, you can use whatever flavours you like and think will work. I went fairly traditional, and added vodka and lime.
So, first thing: the salmon. It must be fresh. I am lucky in Ottawa - there are a couple of good fishmongers where I can get quality product. If you buy from a chain grocery store, I suggest a chat with the fish counter personnel to find out their delivery schedule and time your gravlax making accordingly. You want matching, skin-on fillets of equal size and thickness. Place them skin side down on a large sheet of clingfilm.
Then, I zested and peppered.
Next step: the salt and sugar. I used a little more salt than sugar. A ratio of about 2:1.5 I used a coarse kosher salt, but a very fine grain white sugar. To the mix, I added more fresh ground black pepper. As you can see, the cure is liberally sprinkled over the flesh.
Then the dill, lime and vodka. A note on adding liquid - you don't want to use too heavy a hand. The curing process essentially draws out the liquids and preserves the flesh. Adding too much liquid at the start subverts the process. A little squeeze of lime and 1-2 tbsps of vodka splashed over the fillets is sufficient. I didn't bother chopping the dill, I just laid the whole fronds over the fish.
Then, carefully, you flip one fillet over on top of the other, sandwiching the dill and cure in the middle. If you have one side of the fish that is thinner you want to match it to the thicker side of the opposing fillet for the best chances of getting an even cure.
Wrap your gravlax-to-be tightly in several layers of clingfilm and place in a baking dish - something with a lip. The package will release liquid, so you don't want it to leak all over the fridge. Put a plate and something heavy - at least 1 or 2 pounds - on top of the curing package to weight it. I used a 5 lb box of salt. Place in the fridge, and let cure for 2-3 days, flipping the package every 12 or so hours. The thicker the fillets, the longer they will take to fully cure. I let mine go 3 days.
Afterwards, unwrap and discard the dill. I rinsed mine in cold water to get rid of any excess salt and patted dry with paper towels. Then, slice as thinly as possible on the bias.
Traditionally, gravlax is served with a mustard and dill sauce. I changed it up a bit by adding a bit of Dijon to sour cream with some chopped fresh dill. It works with crackers, as pictured above, bread, boiled potatoes, or just on its own. It should keep up to a week in an airtight container in the fridge.
This is my new favourite way to have salmon. I will probably still play with the recipe a bit, try some different ratios of salt and sugar, maybe some different flavour elements. Experimentation is at least 1/4 of the fun of doing something like this. 3/4 of the fun is, of course, the eating.
For updates, follow me on twitter! @culinarykira
No comments:
Post a Comment