It all started when I was trying to decide what would complement a Scandinavian rye loaf. I am not a huge fan of pickled things, which my research kept pointing to, so I decided to go down the curing route instead. Takes about 10 minutes (if that) on day one, then you just leave it in peace for 24-36 hours. Hey presto, you have a delicious and impressive starter, light, fresh and perfect served with a tangy mustard and dill mayonnaise. I didn’t make the mayonnaise this time, but I’ll post a great mayo recipe soon.
This might be enough for a starter for four. Or perhaps it won’t go that far. You can scale up the quantities for larger salmon fillets, for when we are allowed to have big gatherings again.
Gravlax with mustard and dill mayonnaise ingredients
2 salmon fillets, 150-200g each, skin on
1 tbsp sea salt
1 tbsp caster sugar
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp dill, finely chopped
4 tbsp mayonnaise
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1-2 tbsp dill, finely chopped
salt and pepper
Method
Mix the salt, sugar, pepper and dill in a small bowl.
Place one piece of salmon, skin side down, on a piece of cling film. Spread the dill mixture over the top, then place the other salmon fillet on top, with the skin side up. Wrap up tightly in the cling film, then place on a plate in the fridge for 24-36 hours. Turn it over from time to time, when you’re at the fridge for something else.
When you’re ready to serve, wipe the dill mixture off the salmon. You can use a piece of kitchen paper of you can gently scrape the mixture off with a knife. Cut in thin slices, removing it from the skin as you go.
For the mayonnaise, simply stir the mustard and dill into the mayonnaise and season to taste.
This is great served with brown bread (the eagle eyed amongst you will spot that I didn’t have a rye loaf to hand on this occasion, but it was great with these flatbreads.