Gravlax with Mustard Sauce

Yield:
3 pounds

Our Gravlax with Mustard Sauce is an impressive and delicious appetizer for your next party. Making this recipe is easy: Simply coat the fish with a salt and spice mixture, cover it with plastic wrap, and weigh it down (it takes two days to cure in the refrigerator). To serve, place slices of the gravlax on squares of pumpernickel bread, and top each with a bit of mustard sauce.

Ingredients

  • ½ cup coarse salt

  • 2 tablespoons sugar

  • 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon whole coriander seeds

  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

  • 1 (3-pound) boneless salmon fillet, skin on

  • ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

  • 2 tablespoons vodka

  • 1 bunch fresh dill, coarsely chopped

  • Thinly sliced pumpernickel bread, cut into squares

  • Mustard Sauce

Directions

  1. With a mortar and pestle, mix together salt, sugar, 2 teaspoons coriander seeds, and pepper. Place salmon fillet in a large baking dish, skin-side down and rub salt mixture all over the flesh side of salmon. Cover with plastic wrap, add a weight, and cover the entire dish with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 24 hours.

  2. Combine the mustards, sugar and vinegar in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Process to combine, then add the oil drop by drop until the mixture is thick.

  3. Wipe off salt mixture from salmon and rinse under cold water; pat dry and return to a clean baking dish skin-side down. Drizzle salmon with olive oil and vodka and sprinkle with dill and remaining 2 teaspoons coriander seeds. Cover, weigh down, and refrigerate for 24 hours.

  4. Remove salmon from refrigerator and wipe off excess marinade (reserving dill for garnish). Slice salmon into 1/4-inch thick slices, removing skin; keep refrigerated until ready to serve.

  5. Serve on bread, topped with Mustard sauce and reserved dill.

    martha-cooking-school-preserving-gavlax-cs2009.jpg
    David M. Russell
Related Articles