Gravlax is a Scandinavian specialty and means something like buried salmon. In the past, the salmon fillets were wrapped in tree bark, placed in holes in the ground and weighted down with earth. This allowed the salt to penetrate the fish and make it durable.
Preparation:
First, check the salmon fillet meticulously for bones and remove them with tweezers, if there are still any. Then wash the fish and pat it dry with kitchen paper.
Place the salmon skin side down in a baking dish and spread the sea salt and sugar evenly over it. Peel the beetroot and horseradish and grate on a fine grater. It is best to put on rubber gloves, then your fingers will not turn red! Spread the grated beetroot and horseradish over the salmon so that it is evenly covered.
Wash the fennel and the dill, cut the fennel into fine slices, roughly chop the dill and distribute both evenly on the fish. Now rub the peel of the organic lemon over it with a fine grater, sprinkle the fennel seeds on it and sprinkle the whole thing with the gin.
Now put a sheet of cling film over the salmon, preferably two rows next to each other, and press them lightly onto the fish. Then you have to complain about everything! I prefer to use two 1 liter water bottles for this, but you can also use any other weight. Now the salmon has to pickle in the refrigerator for 2 days.
After 2 days you take the salmon out of the mold and remove the entire top with kitchen paper. When the salmon is clean and dry, place it skin-side down on a cutting board. With a sharp and long knife you start to drive under the fillet at the thinner end to peel off the skin. Move the knife back and forth slowly, moving it further and further under the skin until it is completely detached.
Now place the fillet on a new cutting board (there are probably some scales on the used one) and look at the former skin side. If there are still gray and dark spots, carefully cut them away as well. Then check again that no scale has hidden and then you can turn the fillet over.
Cut the gravlax into thin slices and serve. I like to lay the salmon inside out like a snail, this brings out its wonderful color even better and is reminiscent of a flower. Very nice!
I like to serve a light yogurt sauce and herb potatoes with this fantastic fish.
If there is any leftover of the gravlax, you can wrap the fish in cling film and store it in the refrigerator for a good 10 days.
Ingredients
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