What We're Making: Gravlax

Are you craving smoked salmon but the idea of making it at home is too intimidating? Gravlax is similar to smoked salmon, but with a fresher cured dill flavour than its smokey relative. Gravlax can be enjoyed as a thinly sliced sandwich topping, a welcome addition to a charcuterie platter, or as a standalone dish, with lemon wedges and a warm side salad.

What You'll Need
-1 1kg/2.25lb Atlantic salmon fillet, skin on, pin bones removed and patted dry
-4 tablespoons salt
-4 tablespoons sugar
-1 tablespoon white pepper
-1 bunch fresh dill roughly chopped
-1 rectangular cooking dish with raised sides (make sure it's large enough to fit the fish)

Method
The name gravlax comes from the Swedish word meaning 'to bury', and that's exactly what you do when preparing this dish.

Combine salt, sugar, pepper and dill. Place the salmon filet skin down in the cooking dish and simply cover the salmon with the cure.

Cover salmon and cure with a sheet of plastic wrap and place a weight on top. We used another cooking dish, but a large book works just as well! 

Place dish in the fridge and let it cure for 24 hours. After 24 hours wipe off the cure and let the salmon rest in the fridge for another 24 hours before eating. This allows the cure to even and develop a deeper flavour.

This dish takes about two days to prepare, so it's perfect for a fun and fancy Sunday dinner! Once the salmon is cured it can be kept in the fridge for 3-4 days. Enjoy gravlax with eggs and toast, have a few slices for lunch, or nibble on some if you need an afternoon pick-me-up.