Rick Stein’s Christmas Gravlax
Here’s a fabulous idea for Christmas entertaining, either for a cocktail party or on the day. With thanks to celebrity chef Rick Stein for this recipe from Fish & Shellfish: The Definitive Guide to Cooking Seafood with 120 Classic Recipes.
“Making your own gravlax is absolutely worthwhile”, says Rick. “You never get quite the same intense dill flavour if you buy it. I particularly like the flavour of the white peppercorns in this cure.”
Inroduction
About this Recipe
By: Sheridan Rogers
Rick points out that it’s harder to tell the freshness of fish fillets because there are few indicators go by (such as clear, bright eyes; clearly defined, perky fins; lustrous pink gills, not faded or brown). They should be firm to the touch and not smell.
Alternative fish he suggests are ocean trout and/or sea trout.
Ingredients
Serves 6
- skin-on salmon fillets, 2 x 750g
- large bunch dill, roughly chopped
- coarse sea salt, 100g
- white sugar, 75g
- crushed white peppercorns, 2 tablespoons
- Horseradish and Mustard Sauce:
- finely grated horseradish (fresh or from a jar), 2 teaspoons
- finely grated onion, 2 teaspoons
- Dijon mustard, 1 teaspoon
- caster sugar, 1 teaspoon
- white wine vinegar, 2 tablespoons
- salt, a good pinch
- double cream, 175ml
Put one of the salmon fillets, skin-side down, on to a large sheet of cling film. Mix the dill with the salt, sugar and crushed peppercorns and spread it over the salmon. Place the other fillet on top, skin-side up.
Tightly wrap in 2 or 3 layers of cling film and lift on to a large, shallow tray. Rest a slightly smaller tray or chopping board on top of the fish and weigh it down. Refrigerate for 2 days, turning the fish every 12 hours so that the briny mixture, which has developed inside the parcel, bastes the outside of the fish.
For the horseradish and mustard sauce: stir together all the ingredients except for the cream. Whip the cream into soft peaks, stir in the horseradish mixture, cover and chill.
Remove the fish from the briny mixture and slice it as you would smoked salmon, then serve with the sauce.