Gravad Lax

Gravad Lax

(or Gravelax as some erroneously call it)

is a traditional Scandinavian dish served in the festive season.

Basically it is a sweet pickle made with salmon,

but the dill used in the pickling gives it an amazing flavour.

Served as a starter with a special mustard sauce,

it's a dish to impress.

This needs to be made about three days before you want to serve it.

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Ingredients:
750g salmon fillet
50ml sea salt, the flakes variety is the best to use
50ml Demerara sugar
10ml prepared English mustard
30ml brandy freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 large handful of fresh dill, roughly chopped

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Method:
Place the salmon fillet, skin-side down, into a wide, shallow dish that fits the salmon snugly.
Place the salt, sugar, English mustard and brandy into a clean bowl and mix well until the ingredients have combined to form a smooth yellow mixture.
Spread the mixture over the salmon's pink flesh to cover completely.
Grind over black pepper to taste and sprinkle the dill onto the paste-covered salmon, patting down to press the dill onto the flesh. No pink flesh from the salmon should be visible.
Turn the fish over in the dish so that the skin is facing upwards.
Cover the dish with one layer of cling film. Press the cling film down onto the edges of the fish to exclude as much air as possible before wrapping the film around the sides of the dish. Once this has been completed repeat the process with another layer of cling film.
Apply weights to the top of the fish to press it down into the dish (use a dish or board that sits nicely within the salmon dish, weighed down evenly by tins from your store cupboard or any other suitable weights).
Transfer the fish to the fridge and leave for 2-3 days.
When you are ready to prepare for your meal, unwrap the cling film from the dish and remove the salmon fillet. Brush the dill off the salmon.
Place the salmon fillet on a carving board flesh-side up. With a long, sharp knife, carefully carve very thin diagonal slivers of the pink flesh off the salmon.
Rewrap the fish in cling film and keep in the fridge if it's not all used in one go.
To serve, place on a clean plate and garnish with chopped fresh dill. Serve with buttered rye bread and a separate bowl of Mustard sauce.

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Mustard Sauce:
Ingredients:
30ml Dijon mustard
20ml sugar
1 egg yolk
100ml olive oil
30ml white wine vinegar
10ml fresh chopped fresh dill
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to season

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Method:
Beat the mustard with the sugar and egg yolk until smooth. Whisk together the oil and vinegar, then gradually add to the mustard mixture, whisking thoroughly between each addition. Add the chopped dill and season with salt and black pepper, mixing well to ensure even distribution of the seasoning.