Dill and Salt Cured Salmon with Mustard Sauce

What you need

• 1 kg (2 1/4 lb) salmon fillet, skin-on, centre cut
• 50 g (1/4 cup) coarse sea salt
• 75 g (1/3 cup) granulated sugar
• 1 tsp white peppercorns, lightly crushed
• 30 ml (2 tbsp) aquavit, or vodka, optional
• 100 g (1 large bunch) fresh dill, about two thirds for the cure, the rest for the sauce
• 2 tbsp mustard, Swedish sweet mustard or Dijon
• 1 tbsp caster sugar
• 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
• 100 ml (scant 1/2 cup) neutral oil

Method

Restated from the original video

1. 1

   Gravlax is eaten raw, so use salmon sold for raw eating or salmon that has been frozen at -20 °C (-4 °F) for at least a full day. Thaw it in the fridge.

2. 2

   Run a finger over the flesh of the salmon and pull out any pin bones with tweezers.

3. 3

   Cut the fillet crosswise into two pieces of equal size.

4. 4

   Stir together the salt, sugar and peppercorns.

5. 5

   Coarsely chop about two thirds of the dill, stalks and all.

6. 6

   Brush the flesh of both pieces of salmon with the aquavit.

7. 7

   Lay one piece skin side down in a glass or ceramic dish that fits it snugly. Spread the cure over it and cover with the chopped dill.

8. 8

   Place the second piece on top, flesh side down, to sandwich the cure. Cover with cling film, set a small board on top and weigh it down with two full cans.

9. 9

   Refrigerate for 48 hours, turning the parcel over twice a day and spooning the brine that collects back over the fish.

10. 10

    For the sauce, whisk the mustard, caster sugar and vinegar in a bowl.

11. 11

    Pour in the oil in a thin stream, whisking all the time, until the sauce is thick and glossy.

12. 12

    Finely chop the remaining dill and stir it into the sauce. Chill until needed.

13. 13

    Unwrap the salmon, scrape off the dill and cure, and pat the fish dry with paper towels.

14. 14

    Lay each piece skin side down and cut very thin slices on a sharp slant, working toward the tail and leaving the skin behind.

15. 15

    Serve chilled with the mustard sauce. Well wrapped and chilled, leftover gravlax stays good for 5 days.

Imported from deliciousmagazine.co.uk. Recipe Grab pulled out what you need to cook it; the video stays where its author put it.