Don’t spend a fortune at the deli on gravlax when you could just spend a few minutes making it at home instead?
Prep: 20 minutes
Total: 72 hours 20 minutes
Ingredients:
– 1 1/2 cups kosher salt
– 1 cup dill leaves, plus more for serving
– 3/4 cup granulated sugar
– 2 tablespoons whole black peppercorns, lightly crushed
– 1 tablespoon mace
– 3 lemons, zested, plus 1 lemon, thinly sliced crosswise
– 3 tablespoons vodka or cannabis-based alcohol tincture
– 1 (2-pound) piece center-cut, skin-on salmon fillet, pin bones removed
Directions:
1. Stir salt, dill, sugar, pepper, mace, and lemon zest in a bowl. Place salmon skin-side down on a double thickness of plastic wrap. Season flesh side with salt mixture and sprinkle with your alcohol or tincture. Wrap salmon tightly and place flesh side down in a baking dish. Chill for 48 hours, then flip, gently massaging salmon to redistribute brine. Refrigerate an additional 24 hours. When fully cured, the gravlax should be firm to the touch at the thickest part.
2. Unwrap the salmon, discarding any excess brine, and transfer skin side down to a cutting board. Cut the gravlax crosswise into paper-thin slices and transfer to a serving platter. Garnish with sliced lemon and dill to serve.
