If you are looking for a slightly different starter this Christmas, this salmon gravadlax recipe is an ideal solution and can all be made well in advance, leaving very little to do last minute.
Ingredients
- 2 halves of salmon fillets, scaled (each weighing approximately 250g)
- For the Beetroot Cure:
- 1 raw beetroot, peeled and quartered
- 1 good handfuls of fresh dill, roughly chopped
- 3 tblsp sea salt
- 4 tblsp caster sugar
- 1 tblsp honey
- 1 tblsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tblsp wholegrain mustard
- For the Cucumber Pickle:
- 4 tblsp caster sugar
- 4 tblsp cider vinegar
- ½ cucumber, thinly sliced
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 small shallot, very thinly sliced
- ½ red chilli, seeded and finely chopped
- For the Dill Crème Fraîche:
- Good handful of fresh dill finely chopped
- 200g crème fraîche
- Juice of ½ lemon
- Good grinding freshly ground black pepper
- Swedish crisp bread, to serve (see separate recipe)
- Fresh watercress and dill sprigs, to garnish
Method
- For the beetroot cure, blitz the beetroot to a smooth purée and put in bowl. Combine the dill, sea salt, caster sugar, honey, black pepper and mustard.
- Roll out a large piece of cling film and sprinkle the base with 1/3 of the beetroot mixture.
- Place one side of the salmon skin side down on the beetroot mixture and top half the remaining mixture.
- Place the second fillet on top, flesh side down and sprinkle with the remaining dill mixture.
- Wrap the salmon tightly with the cling film and give it an extra layer if you need to.
- Place the wrapped parcel in a high-sided dish and weigh it down with a plate and some full cans or whatever heavy item you have to hand.
- Leave the salmon to cure in the fridge for up to 5 days turning half way through. The dish will fill with juices but don't be too concerned about draining them until you are ready to serve.
- For the cucumber pickle, in a bowl mix together the sugar and vinegar until the sugar has dissolved. Mix in the salt, shallots and chilli and then add the cucumber slices. Cover with cling film and leave in the fridge for at least 2 hours or overnight.
- To the dill crème fraîche, mix the dill, crème fraîche, lemon juice and black pepper in a bowl. Cover with cling film and leave in the fridge for at least 2 hours or overnight.
- When you are ready to serve, remove the package from the salmon and wipe clean of the juices. Separate the sides and slice thinly with a large knife.
- Place Swedish crisp bread on each serving plate and top with the slices of beetroot gravadlax and dollops of the dill crème fraîche and a small mound of cucumber pickle to each one. Garnish with the watercress and dill sprigs to serve.
