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Gravad lax with mustard-dill sauce, the whole dishGravad lax with mustard-dill sauce, close up

Gravad lax with mustard-dill sauce

25 min · 21 g protein · 240 cals / serving

Home-cured salmon in thin, glistening slices, heavy with dill and white pepper, with the sweet, sharp mustard sauce every Swede knows from the julbord. The salmon cures itself in the fridge in two days; the sauce is whisked up in five minutes on a base of kvarg, with both Swedish and Dijon mustard and plenty of fresh dill.

Servings8

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 lb salmon, centre-cut salmon fillet with skin, frozen for 72 hours and thawed
  • 3 tbsp, for the cure salt, coarse; most of it runs off as brine
  • 3 tbsp, for the cure granulated sugar, most of it runs off as brine
  • 1 1/2 tsp white pepper, coarsely crushed
  • 1 large bunch fresh dill, stalks and all, coarsely chopped

Hovmästarsås

Steps

  1. Cut the salmon fillet in half across. Mix the salt, sugar and crushed white pepper. Scatter a third of the dill in a dish, lay one piece skin side down on it, rub half the cure into the flesh and cover with half the remaining dill. Rub the rest of the cure into the second piece and lay it flesh side down on top, thick end over thin end. Finish with the last of the dill.
  2. Wrap the dish tightly in plastic, put a light weight on top (a couple of cans) and leave it in the fridge for 48 hours, turning the salmon parcel every 12 hours and spooning the brine back over it.
  3. Make the hovmästarsås: whisk the kvarg, both mustards, sugar and vinegar until smooth, whisk in the oil in a thin stream so it turns glossy, then stir in the chopped dill and the salt. Chill for at least an hour.Step 3, what it should look like
  4. Lift the salmon out, pour away the brine and scrape off the dill and peppercorns. Pat it dry and slice it very thinly on the diagonal, away from the skin, with a long sharp knife. Serve with the sauce.

Good to know

Why freeze the salmon first?

Gravad lax is never cooked, so freezing the fillet first, at -0°F or colder for 72 hours, is the standard way to kill any parasites, and wild salmon must always be frozen. Buy the freshest fillet you can and freeze it as soon as you get home.

Is it safe for everyone?

Livsmedelsverket advises pregnant women and people with weakened immunity to avoid gravad and cold-smoked fish, because of the risk of Listeria. Freezing does not remove that risk. Serve them a warm alternative, such as a piece of oven-baked salmon with the same sauce.

How long does it keep?

Once cured, wrap it well and keep it in the fridge for up to 4 days, or slice it, wrap the slices in portions and freeze them for up to 2 months.

On the julbord or as a starter?

Both. As a starter, lay the slices on a plate with a few boiled new potatoes, a lemon wedge and a spoon of sauce. On the julbord it sits beside the herring and the smoked salmon.

Per

Calories
189
Protein
(36%)
17 g
Fat
(53%)
11 g
Carbohydrates
(12%)
6 g
of which sugar
4 g
Fiber
<1 g
Sodium
756 mg

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Computed from the ingredients with our published formula, not yet kitchen-tested. How

As written, 1917 kcal goes into the pot and 1098 g of ingredients comes out as about 1016 g of food: 189 kcal per 100 g. Cooking moves water and energy density is the score's biggest lever, so the dish is scored as cooked, not as an average of its parts. Every ingredient links to its food page, with the same data and score. The label's percentages are each macronutrient's share of the calories. The full formula.