Use your Dill; make "Gravad Lax" (pickled salmon)

Hattie the Hen

Deeply Rooted
Joined
Dec 9, 2008
Messages
1,616
Reaction score
7
Points
124
Location
UK.-- Near Oxford
Hi there! :frow

I learn't to make this when I was working in Norway. They use their wonderful salmon & sea trout but I have used ordinary trout(Rainbow or Brown varieties).

"Gravad Lax" is a form of pickling of fish. it's actually salting rather than pickling I think & is a short term method of presavation. You can do it with a whole fish or with a smaller piece.
It is mostly eaten like smoked salmon in thin slices.

METHOD:-
Take your whole fish, DO NOT SKIN, Take the whole fillet of the first side,then the 2nd side. Find a long ceramic or glass dish the legth of the fillets. Sprinkle the bottom of the dish with sea salt flakes or crystals ( must be proper salt of good quality ) plus some white sugar & chopped dill -- you want about 6 times the quantity of salt to sugar and the amount of dill depends on tour taste for dill. I use a lot.

Now place your first fillet on this mixture, skin side down. Sprinkle more of the salt, sugar,dill mixture over it. Then pour a LITTLE vodka over this( you can leave this out but I think it tastes much better (then, I would :celebrate) . Now place the second fillet on top SKIN SIDE UP this time & sprinkle yet more of the salt etc. mixtur over the whole thing. Cover with plastic wrap & place in frdge with a weight on top. I use a long piece of wood with cans of food to weigh it down. Place in the fridge for two days basting twice a day with the liqid that comes out of the fish. I alternate the position of the two fillets, dipping them in the liquid as I move them (the skin should always stay on the outside). After 2 days a small trout or a piece of salmon would be ready to eat but an entire fish would take 4-6 depending on the size & thickness. When it's ready you take it out of the marinade/ cure & pat dry. You slice it thinly like smoked salmon.

The Scandinavians serve it with hot little new potatoes & a mustard & dill sauce. It is a lovely dish & a great treat in Summer (after their long winters)!

I will give you some more recipes later -- I am having problems with my laptop today, it keeps disappearing my posts. I've written all this twice before. :barnie :he So I am going to post it now -----I hope :fl :fl

:rose Hattie :rose
 

Mackay

Garden Ornament
Joined
May 18, 2009
Messages
197
Reaction score
12
Points
96
You mean you are eating this fish raw, just marinaded?
 

Hattie the Hen

Deeply Rooted
Joined
Dec 9, 2008
Messages
1,616
Reaction score
7
Points
124
Location
UK.-- Near Oxford
Hi Mackay ! :frow

Yes I am but the salting process cures it & kills any bacteria in the same way it does in air-fried hams etc. A lot of people are anxious about this but it is a well tried recipe especially in Scandinavia. When friends try it for the first time they are amazed at the delicate taste -- for some reason they expect it will taste very FISHY -- the opposite is true. In fact I now find that a lot of cooked fish tastes too strong for me -- but then I love Japanese food, sushi & sashimi & I love South American cerviche (all uncooked fish in our sense of the word). :D

Of course you must use the very freshest of fish to begin with!

:rose Hattie :rose
 

Augustmomx2

Attractive To Bees
Joined
Mar 17, 2009
Messages
140
Reaction score
1
Points
74
Location
Central Indiana
Oh my gosh, this sounds so good! If you ever get a chance, could you please post a pic of the layering process? I have probs visualizing lasagna most the time :rolleyes: Keep sharing recipes please...love em' :)
 

Hattie the Hen

Deeply Rooted
Joined
Dec 9, 2008
Messages
1,616
Reaction score
7
Points
124
Location
UK.-- Near Oxford
Hi there Augustmomx2! :frow



Oh! you set me a task. :lol: I finally found a video which shows half the story I was trying to explain in my post. If you watch this & make it like he does that is fine but I tend to use smaller whole fish cut into the two long fillets. I lay them one on top of the other (each with it's skin on the outside; as if you are reassembling the whole fish. Then wrap the whole thing & weight it.

The last of these links is the VIDEO! The others are different recipe variations (& there are many more out there). Each link has a bit of extra info to add to your knowledge. Don't be put off by what looks like a lot of work. Once you have done it you will see that it iis harder to describe than do!! :D A pair of tweezers & a sharp Knife is what you need (unless you have a good & helpful fishmonger). When I had my restaurant we used to prepare a lot of this all the time & we filleted our own fish.

Do try it & let me know how it goes. Sorry I couldn't send photos but my camera is broken. :hit

Good luck! Don't panic if you get stuck PM me -- I'm around everyday & I will get back to you as soon as I get the message......!! :D


:rose Hattie :rose



http://www.xs4all.nl/~alicedj/2009/03/gravad-lax-home-cured-salmon.html

http://www.ciao.co.uk/Recipes_for_Starters__5191985

http://www.bigoven.com/92723-Gravad-Lax-recipe.html

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/3325408/Readers-recipes-gravlax.html

http://www.culinaryanthropologist.org/2006/10/gravlax.html

http://glutenfreegirl.blogspot.com/2009/07/how-to-make-gravlax-video.html
 

Augustmomx2

Attractive To Bees
Joined
Mar 17, 2009
Messages
140
Reaction score
1
Points
74
Location
Central Indiana
Hattie the Hen said:
Hi there Augustmomx2! :frow



Oh! you set me a task. :lol: I finally found a video which shows half the story I was trying to explain in my post. If you watch this & make it like he does that is fine but I tend to use smaller whole fish cut into the two long fillets. I lay them one on top of the other (each with it's skin on the outside; as if you are reassembling the whole fish. Then wrap the whole thing & weight it.

The last of these links is the VIDEO! The others are different recipe variations (& there are many more out there). Each link has a bit of extra info to add to your knowledge. Don't be put off by what looks like a lot of work. Once you have done it you will see that it iis harder to describe than do!! :D A pair of tweezers & a sharp Knife is what you need (unless you have a good & helpful fishmonger). When I had my restaurant we used to prepare a lot of this all the time & we filleted our own fish.

Do try it & let me know how it goes. Sorry I couldn't send photos but my camera is broken. :hit

Good luck! Don't panic if you get stuck PM me -- I'm around everyday & I will get back to you as soon as I get the message......!! :D


:rose Hattie :rose



http://www.xs4all.nl/~alicedj/2009/03/gravad-lax-home-cured-salmon.html

http://www.ciao.co.uk/Recipes_for_Starters__5191985

http://www.bigoven.com/92723-Gravad-Lax-recipe.html

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/3325408/Readers-recipes-gravlax.html

http://www.culinaryanthropologist.org/2006/10/gravlax.html

http://glutenfreegirl.blogspot.com/2009/07/how-to-make-gravlax-video.html
Hattie the Hen you totally rock! Thanks so much for the sites :clap

Just reading your recipe makes my mouth water :drool

You owned a restaurant?!? I bet it was delish :thumbsup Thanks again :)
 

Hattie the Hen

Deeply Rooted
Joined
Dec 9, 2008
Messages
1,616
Reaction score
7
Points
124
Location
UK.-- Near Oxford
Hi Augustmomx2 :frow

Thank you & you are welcome. I'm sure you will enjoy it. The difference between the stuff you buy & home-made is amazing. It is also so expensive in the shops. Just make sure the fish is absolutely FRESH ! You can also cook the fish after it has been cured if you want a hot meal. Just heat up a dry cast-iron skillet until it is very hot then brush the piece of salmon which you have patted dry & sear it for a short time to heat it through. Serve with a dipping sauce. Its great with hot little new potatoes which are very traditional in Norway. you can do it on the BBQ too -- be careful not to overcook it! :D

Yes, I had a restaurant for about 5 years. It was a family restaurant serving only food made in the building & made from local seasonal ingredients. I tried to keep it reasonably priced & I made a lot of dishes to order for people with food allergies. We made our own bread, cakes & cookies. We also sold the best coffee for miles! I was so sad to close it (due to my illness). I still meet people in the town who mourn its demise! :hit

GOOD LUCK! :frow

:rose Hattie :rose
 

Augustmomx2

Attractive To Bees
Joined
Mar 17, 2009
Messages
140
Reaction score
1
Points
74
Location
Central Indiana
Hattie the Hen said:
Hi Augustmomx2 :frow

Thank you & you are welcome. I'm sure you will enjoy it. The difference between the stuff you buy & home-made is amazing. It is also so expensive in the shops. Just make sure the fish is absolutely FRESH ! You can also cook the fish after it has been cured if you want a hot meal. Just heat up a dry cast-iron skillet until it is very hot then brush the piece of salmon which you have patted dry & sear it for a short time to heat it through. Serve with a dipping sauce. Its great with hot little new potatoes which are very traditional in Norway. you can do it on the BBQ too -- be careful not to overcook it! :D

Yes, I had a restaurant for about 5 years. It was a family restaurant serving only food made in the building & made from local seasonal ingredients. I tried to keep it reasonably priced & I made a lot of dishes to order for people with food allergies. We made our own bread, cakes & cookies. We also sold the best coffee for miles! I was so sad to close it (due to my illness). I still meet people in the town who mourn its demise! :hit

GOOD LUCK! :frow

:rose Hattie :rose
Again, you are making my mouth water :drool Thanks for the tips on preperation too :D

I would mourn the demise of such a fabulous restaurant as well. I suffer from a nut allergy and to have a restaurant where good food is served, that won't kill you (literally) is a rare-find. I'm so sad that you had to close it, due to your illness. That has been a lifelong dream of mine and I'm sure it was yours also :(

Thanks again for the info, I check out the recipe board all of the time to pick up recipes and tips from you. Please keep them coming :bow
 

PunkinPeep

Garden Ornament
Joined
Jun 17, 2009
Messages
452
Reaction score
0
Points
79
Location
East Texas - Zone 8 or 9
Oh my gosh! I never dreamed i could make that on my own. I love the salmon they sell in the store, but i cannot bear to pay the price for it. This, i could do! Yum!
 

Hattie the Hen

Deeply Rooted
Joined
Dec 9, 2008
Messages
1,616
Reaction score
7
Points
124
Location
UK.-- Near Oxford
:frow :frow

Hi PunkinPeep,

It's nice to see this recipe revived -- I think it scares people a bit. They are wary of foodstuffs that are not cooked in a conventual way! But the basic recipe/method has been around for centuries.

As long as you use really sparkling fresh fish & good quality salt (kosher salt seems to be the favourite choice in the US but I use Maldon sea salt here in the UK)& keep everything cool & clean it is just so easy. I can never understand why it is so expensive in the stores.

Good luck! :D Let us know how it goes! :frow

:rose Hattie :rose
 
Top