Gravlax recipe, please.

We have some dill growing in our herb garden that is going to be done soon and I would like to use it up. I would appreciate any recipes you may have for gravlax using dill. Thanks.

G

[Jenise]

Greg, I love, LOVE gravlax and make it every summer when salmon is cheap and pristeen fresh 'round here. But instead of giving you my recipe, I'm going to refer you to this month's issue of Saveur, which I just confirmed is online. There's a splendid article about gravlax variations (Miracle Cure), another about the origins of salmon preservation and why lox is popular in the Jewish community which like me you may not have understood (Lox Lessons) and recipes for both gravlax and the typical Scandinavian mustard-dill sauce. Both the gravlax and mustard sauce are almost identical to what I make, though I use gin in place of aquaavit. The Miracle Cure article explains why the addition of a little hooch, though not neccessary to the process, enhances it. (It's a change I made myself only a few years ago, but once I added it I never went back to the virginal version.)

http://www.saveur.com/article_listing.jsp?keyword=gravlax&sType=all

Thanks, Jenise!

I make a traditional gravlax, but with some crushed juniper berries. I then add some Bombay Sapphire to the cure on the second day.

Feel free to experiment.

I used the recipe from Saveur as Jenise suggested but substituted gin for the aquavit. It came out great with the fresh dill from our garden. Flavorful with a silky texture.

Thanks for all of your help.

G

[Jenise]

I make a traditional gravlax, but with some crushed juniper berries. I then add some Bombay Sapphire to the cure on the second day.

Feel free to experiment.

I love the juniper note from the gin, but never thought of adding berries too. Nice touch. What benefit do you derive from waiting until the second day to add the gin? Oh, and another question which has been in the back of my mind, and which is for anyone but with your scientific background and meticulous habits, you have no doubt already addressed the question yourself: what about the parasite issue? Do you use fresh salmon for gravlax, or do you freeze the salmon before beginning your cure? I scoured the Saveur articles hoping for some insight into that, but the issue wasn't addressed. Is curing presumed to be an effective exterminator?

Jenise,
Freezing in a regular home freezer does not kill parasites. The type of deep freezer that is used on fishing ships does suffice, as I understand. However, salmon is not a deep sea fish, so I do not believe it is subjected to the same deep freeze. I suspect parasites are just a risk, even at sushi restaurants.

The curing process for gravlax might help reduce some parasites, but it is not the same cure as is required for preservation - like smoking or salt-drying. So I think gravlax still has some risk.

Bernie

[Jenise]

Jenise,
Freezing in a regular home freezer does not kill parasites. The type of deep freezer that is used on fishing ships does suffice, as I understand. However, salmon is not a deep sea fish, so I do not believe it is subjected to the same deep freeze. I suspect parasites are just a risk, even at sushi restaurants.

The curing process for gravlax might help reduce some parasites, but it is not the same cure as is required for preservation - like smoking or salt-drying. So I think gravlax still has some risk.

Bernie

Yikes, really? I believe I read that one needs to freeze the fish for 48-72 hours, the time being neccessary to get that deep freeze effectiveness.