Nordic Gravlax With Caraway Coriander Recipes

NORDIC GRAVLAX WITH CARAWAY & CORIANDER

Steps:

• Fill a large bowl with cold water and 4 tbsp salt. Add salmon and let stand 10 minutes.
• In a skillet, toast RawSpiceBar's Gravlax Spices, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute.
• In a small bowl, stir together salt, sugar & RawSpiceBar's Gravlax Spices until thoroughly combined.
• Remove salmon and pat dry with paper towels. Turn salmon skin side up and sprinkle about half of spice mixture, rubbing in with fingers.
• Arrange half the dill all over the bottom of a baking dish large enough to hold salmon. Set salmon skin side down on bed of dill. Rub remaining spice mixture on top and top with remaining dill. Cover with plastic and top with a weight. Refrigerate for 1 day.
• Unpack salmon and turn skin-side up. Re-pack with dill, cover with plastic and set weight back on top. Refrigerate until salmon is cured, 1 day longer for a lighter cure and 2 days longer for slightly more cure.
• For the dill sauce: in a blender, combine vinegar with dill, mustard, and sugar and blend until dill is very finely chopped. Add oil and blend until a smooth sauce is formed. Season with salt and pepper.
• Unpack salmon, removing dill, and set on a work surface. Using a very sharp slicing knife, cut gravlax on the bias into thin slices. Arrange on slices of pumpernickel bread and drizzle sauce on top. Serve.

VINCENT HODGINS'S MOROCCAN SPICED GRAVLAX

Steps:

• Place the fennel, anise, caraway, coriander, cumin, clove and cardamom in a dry skillet, and toast over medium heat, shaking the pan frequently, until the mixture is aromatic, 1 to 2 minutes. Grind all the spices together, then mix with the cinnamon, sugar, salt and pepper. Place the salmon, skin side down, on a large sheet of plastic wrap. Cover the flesh side of the salmon with the spice mixture, making sure to coat it completely.
• Wrap the fish well, and refrigerate for 48 hours.
• Unwrap salmon, and rinse off the cure. Dry, then slice on the bias (see illustration). Serve plain or with lemon wedges, creme fraiche, sour cream or a light vinaigrette.

GRAVLAX (MARINATED SALMON)

Steps:

• For the salmon, remove all bones with a pair of tweezers, but leave the skin on.
• Rinse.
• Mash the dill stems in a mortar with a little of the salt.
• Mix with the rest of the salt, the sugar and pepper.
• Save the dill leaves for the sauce.
• Cover the flesh side of the fillets with the mixture, and place the fillets flesh-to-flesh in a tray made of glass or stainless steel.
• Cover with plastic foil and put a heavy weight on top (e. g. the mortar or a brick).
• Keep refrigerated for 72 hours, turning the fillets every 12 hours.
• Do not discard the liquid that forms.
• Scrape off the spices and discard the liquid.
• The salmon will keep refrigerated for about a week.
• For the sauce, mix mustard, sugar and vinegar.
• Add the oil a little at the time (as for mayonnaise), constantly stirring.
• Just before serving, add lots of dill and salt and pepper to taste.
• Slice the salmon with a sharp, flexible knife in big, thin slices parallell to the skin.
• Arrange the ice-cold salmon on lettuce leaves with slices of lemon.
• Serve the sauce separately.
• Also serve toasted bread and butter.