How to make: Homemade Gravlax

Gravlax, gravlax. Where have you been all my life?
I know what you're thinking. Yes I seriously only discovered Gravlax two years ago. And I owe this marvelous discovery to my dear Finnish friend, Krista and her exceptional homemade gravlax.  

I've always been reluctant to eat salmon. I don't know why, but it has never really been my favorite fish. Until I've had that first bite of homemade gravlax with some dilled mayo on a thin slice of rye bread. FOR BREAKFAST. 
Mind = BLOWN.

And I'm not talking about that Ikea wet-pink-wallpaper-like stuff they sell (Ikea I love you, but seriously you've gotta do something about your salmon people!)This one is sweet, and salty, and fragrant, and it melts in your mouth like butter in the sun, only to leave you craving for more.
So here it is ladies and gentlemen! Homemade gravlax recipe in all its might! 

Homemade Gravlax:
Adapted from the recipe by Kari Diehl on about.com
 
This recipe can be halved, doubled or more very easily! 
I usually keep 1/2 pound of prepared gravlax in the fridge, and freeze the rest in 1/2 pound portions. The portions are small enough for a 2 persons-household's morning or afternoon sandwiches, and they will keep us going for a while. Also, they're excellent for a quick defrost in case of an unexpected cocktail party emergency!

• one 2 pound sashimi grade salmon fillet*
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup salt
• 1/2 tsp. dill seeds
• 1/2 Tbsp. freshly ground pepper
• 1 large bunch of fresh dill (don’t skimp on the dill, for this is what gives gravlax its unique flavor).

* The original recipe calls for two pieces of skin-on salmon fillet. It also gives instructions for how to make gravlax with fish which freshness is less than sashimi-grade. 

I personally only use extra fresh sashimi salmon for the following reasons:

1- The fish quality is very high, and that unmistakeably shows in the end-result.

2- Much lower risk of harvesting unwanted bugs in your food.

3- A sashimi fillet is a boneless, skinless fillet. Which saves you a massive amount of time when prepping your fish, and later is much easier to cut neatly to serve.

Check to salmon for bones by running your fingers on the surface, and remove them if any.

Wash and roughly chop the dill, leaves and stems as well. Take half of the chopped dill and lay in the bottom of a deep dish, with approximately the same surface area as your fish.

Combine the sugar, salt, dill seeds and pepper, and rub the fish on all sides with the mixture, use it all. 

Lay the fish on the dill bed then cover with the remaining chopped dill.

Cover lightly with plastic wrap and let the fish marinate on room temperature until the salt-sugar mixture has melted into the fish, and for no longer than 6 hours. (Skip this step in hot summer days)  

Put a smaller dish on top of the fish and add some light weight to press it down. (I usually use my small jam and mustard jars that I keep in the fridge)

Refrigerate the gravlax for a minimum of 48 hours before consuming and a maximum of 7 days. 

Every 12 hours, turn the fish over in the liquid that has accumulated in the bottom of the dish to ensure that all parts are evenly marinated. Re-cover with the plastic wrap and the weighted dish and return to the refrigerator.

To serve, remove the gravlax from the dish, and discard all remaining liquids. Scrape off most of the dill and seasoning and pat dry with paper towels if it's still too wet. Thinly slice the fish and serve on a sandwich or a cracker with your condiment of choice.
Gravlax goes really well with tart, citrusy flavors, with mayonnaise, cream cheese, or sweet mustard sauce, etc. 

You can store the gravlax in the refrigerator for up to a week and in the freezer for up to a month.