Home-cured gravadlax

We're breakfast addicts around here - and I DO NOT mean a sluggish piece of toast with a meagre smearing of margerine... I mean PROPER breakfast! I could do without breakfast any day during the week, in fact, I lived completely without breakfast for many years, convinced that my stomach would take even longer to wake up than I did. So I discovered the joys of breakfast only very late, but (and maybe just because of it) I now indulge in it with allthemore passion.

Of course, I am talking about doing it in style, which is something I can only allow myself to do on weekends. Mid-week, I usually settle for home-made granola and a freshly cut fruit salad. Come Saturday, though, it's time to pull out all the stops: cooked eggs in all shapes and sizes (e.g. my speciality of eggs florendict, oeufs cocotte, huevos a a mexicana, etc), freshly baked bread (more on this as soon as I manage to take a half-decent picture), pastrami or BLT bagels and/or some salmon. And again, we don't settle for second best: the most glorious salmon ever is smoked at my local fishmongers and he is a super hero for shaving off the thinnest slices... no chewy bits that stick between your teeth, just the tenderest, melt-in-the-mouth fish you could ever imagine. Recently, he's taken to also making gravadlax - but I thought, hang on, I might not be able to build a smoker in my house, but I can surely cure my own salmon? And so I did.

Help came in the form of Marcus Wareing's new book One Perfect Ingredient, Three Ways to Cook It. Now, lets forget for the moment that, as anyone who has known me for a few years will be able to testify, he has blatantly stolen my idea for a cookbook, he again has some great treats on offer - I didn't actually get past the gravadlax, but this recipe worked really well. In the future, I will probably stick to my other recipe, as I found that the acidity of the orange juice toughens the fish unnecessarily around the edges... my other version just uses sugar, sea salt, spices and citrus peel, so you get all the seasoning you want, but lose nothing of the flavour of the fish.

So there you go, a lovely, home-made treat for you to try this weekend - incredibly easy to make and a perfect way to impress your guests: "You did what? You cured your own salmon?" "Oh yesss!"

Home-cured gravadlax

400 g salmon loin (skinned and deboned)

For the marinade:
1 unwaxed lemon (cut into quarters)
110 g brown sugar
75 g coarse sea salt
1 tsp fennel seeds
1 tsp peppercorns
1 pack dill (ca. 40 g)
ca. 500 ml fresh orange juice

To finish:
2 tbsp dijon mustard
1 pack dill (ca. 40 g, finely chopped)

Blitz the all the ingredients for the marinade (except the orange juice) in a food processor. Coat the salmon with the paste, place in an airproof plastic container and pour over enough orange juice to just cover the fish. Place in the fridge and marinate for 24 hours.

Remove the fish from the container, rinse well and thoroughly pat dry. Spread with dijon mustard, then coat with the dill.

Serve thinly sliced with sweet mustard sauce on the side**.

* Adapted from Marcus Wareing One Perfect Ingredient, Three Ways to Cook It

Comments

[Lore]

I'm pro breakfast too! Yours it's more than yummy and proper: it's a classy dish for an early palate delight. Love it!

[David]

I've always wanted to make gravadlax but bagels and cream cheese are too expensive here.

Okay, maybe once, as a splurge...!

[Scott at Realepicurean]

That's the ticket! I've been looking for something different to do with salmon for a while and although gravadlax is a classic, for some reason it never entered my head.

So thanks for the great recipe and reminder!

[Rachel@fairycakeheaven]

This looks absolutely delicious and I have such a craving for gravadlax now, might send the husband to the shops for the necessary ingredients!

[Helen]

Oh my. Oh my, oh my! That is so up my street it isn't even happening. I love the idea of curing my own gravadlax, it looks stunning.

[Hannah]

Hello, I've only just discovered your blog - on Saturday I googled for a chocolate muffin recipe, and your triple chocolate recipe was one of the first hits. I baked some, and they were perhaps the most delicious muffins I have ever had! Many of my friends said things along similar lines, so I just thought I'd say thankyou!! (it was a recipe you posted in May 2005, I think!)

[andreea]

weekend breakfasts are the best :)
we have his first book, but i think there is a very good chance we'll get this one as well. recipe sounds delicious

[Pille]

That's a gorgeous-looking gravadlax, but you forgot to mention two of your heavenly breakfast offerings - the tomato-rocket frittata and the layered omelette and smoked salmon cake (would also work with this gravadlax). These are/were amazing!!

[Jeanne]

OK, so I have one question - where is my breakfast invitation?!

Looks absolutely divine - I'm going to have to come and patronise your fishmonger for some excellent raw materials and try my hand at this :)

[myfrenchkitchen]

Delicious looking gravlax!
ronelle

[Juc]

Cannot believe how boring I am. I've done nothing else with the raw salmon, that salted it, pressed it and held it in the fridge for some time. Although this is also really delicous, I have to keep it in mind, that next time I'll try your version!

[Margaret]

If this is what your household has for breakfast - I'm coming over right now!

[Tartelette]

During the week, I can't do more than yogurt and a piece of fruit (I've got a 5 mile run that does not agree with breakfast) but on Sundays...oh yeah baby! I love the gravlax you made, it's been ages since I made some. Sounds perfect for this sunday!

[Foodfreak]

This looks to-die-for!

[We Are Never Full]

We have been wanting to do this for ages. This looks beautiful. I love the idea of just letting time do the work on this. gorgeous!

[cdecocina]

This looks very good, better than commercial one. It´s good knowing how to do it at home, I think I will do it for sure...when I have time!
Thanks for sharing