Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Food, Cooking, and Game Preparation How to make gravlax...

So now it's wintertime, and the salmon fillets sitting in the freezer are starting to get old...

No sweat -- this is the perfect time to make gravlax, or Scandinavian cured salmon.

Salmon fillets are cold-cured with salt, brown sugar, pepper, dill, and alcohol to make gravlax. It is imperative that the fish has been frozen at least 48 hours. No cooking required. Plan ahead. This will take at least 3 days.

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:
� 1 (3- to 4-pound) salmon, weighed after cleaning and beheading, skin on
� � cup salt
� 1 cup brown sugar
� 1 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
� 1 good-size bunch dill, roughly chopped, stems and all
� 1 capful of gin

Preparation:

Thaw the salmon, and pull the rib bones from the fillets. The fish skin need not be scaled.

Lay both halves, skin side down, on a large cutting board or other processing surface. Lay one piece on some dill on a strip of plastic wrap, and the other right next to it.. Wash each fillet with half a cap or so of gin. Mix the brown sugar, salt and white pepper; then spread it on both fillets. Sandwich the fillets together, then wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Put it in a tub, and put another tub, or anything that will fit in with a flat bottom, on top of the plastic-wrapped salmon. Add two or three pounds of weight on top, then refrigerate. I do it a lot during the winter, and just put it out in the garage.

Pour the liquid out every 12 hours and turn the plastic-wrapped fish over to the other side. Put the weight back on, and put it back for another 12 hours. Give it at least three full days; if the fish is larger, go four days. On the third or fourth day, when the flesh has lost its translucence, take it out of the plastic wrap and wash all the remaining salt, sugar and dill off with cold water. Dry with paper towels, and either vacuum �seal, or serve within a few days. To serve, slice thinly as you would smoked salmon -- on the bias and without the skin -- and serve with rye bread or pumpernickel, and lemon wedges. Or whatever else satisfies you � I like putting it on bagels with cream cheese, or eating it all by itself. I generally slice it into three or four pieces out of each fillet, then vacuum-seal it and put it in the freezer. It lasts many months if it�s well-sealed and well-frozen.













Pretty good eating, according to my friends and relatives. And I like it pretty well too... .

Dennis

Try wrapping your fish in cheese cloth so it can breath.
You seriously need a slicer. Today you can get a top quality Japanese slicer at a great price. No need to go over board and buy a yanagi but you need a thin sharp knife. You are crushing the cells of the protein instead of cutting through it. If that sounds silly it makes a world of difference in the end appearance and taste of your product.
You really don't want to cut fish straigh down. Cut it on the bias. If you need to cheat lay a pair of tongs on the fish and then lay the side of your knife on the tongs as a guide.
I've no idea why you think you need to freeze the fish for 48 hours first. If you want to kill parasites guidelines for Sashimi would dictate that you freeze about two weeks at 0 degrees. Then again if it's minus 40 in your freezer two days may do the trick.

muledeer you need my mailing address!

I'm glad you think I'm doing it wrong, because I've been desperately looking for correction and criticism. Thank you so much for providing all that you are certain I need to know. Forgive me for not answering your questions, though, because I really have no interest in incessant trading of fish-catching/fish-eating thoughts.

Dennis

That's because you don't have a bridge to the airport.

Could be...not having a bridge to the airport has played a role in my finances, that's for sure... .

Dennis

I'd rather have an Alaskan freezer full of fish, than a "proper" japanese slicer and store bought fillets.

Thanks for the thread, I've got ~100#'s of fillets in the freezer and while I've eaten gravlax, and Scandahoovian blood flows through my veins, I've never made gravlax.

People really like my gravlax -- which is to say, if I can make it you can too . Or about anyone else who's got any experience handling salmon. Once you get it put together and started, it only takes about 10 minutes in the morning and 10 minutes at night to drain the liquid out and turn it over. I do mine in the garage, because it's nice and cool but doesn't ever freeze.

I like your first line a lot... .

Dennis

I'm not surprised you don't want to talk about telling folks they "need" to freeze salmon for just 48 hours. Unless your home freezer gets mighty cold as in minus 40 or so that isn't even close to safe. IIR it was just this past summer that a Chicago paper did an article on a patient that had worms surgically removed from his a++ after eating AK salmon with parasites. That wasn't you was it? LOL I seriously hope you investigate your facts just a little more in the future or do you really just not care if your sheeple get ill from your poor advice? Just a little responsibility wouldn't hurt there big fella.
BTW I'd love to hear the logic behind putting weight on the fish then wrapping it tightly in plastic and then trying to drain it every 12 hours.
I don't want to send you off the deep end with a little friendly advice but gravlax really should have some acid component.
Hey you can always write another rant for the rag about your expertise and dealing with folks on the internet.....LOL

Thanks for posting that Dennis. It looks good!

The only part of the recipe I question is the amount of gin that is needed!

what's the gin got to do with it, ain't the fish dead or must we get it drunk before we freeze it. yeeehaaaaaaa, you betcha brother.

Glad to see that you are still alive!

I was worried for a bit when atkinson posted 458 Lott dies



John

had to look thought it was some kinda laxative

I think I've made it 3 times because I saw it posted here. I've had quite a few times and think it's a nice change from smoked salmon. A restaurant here serves it with a horse radish sauce and a creamy mustard sauce. The mustard sauce really makes it 10 times better and I wish I had the recipe. I make it with salt, pepper, sugar and dill and kind of thought the salt was there to kill the critters. Salt and sugar have anti critter properties at high concentrations and both are used as preservatives. I'm going to have to get my chef buddy to blast freeze my fish from now on.

My local market sells it with either dill or peppercorns. I think they are both excellent. Thanks for the post. If you have anything more to contribute, like a recipe for the mustard sauce, I'll be checking back later.

By the way, I have a Scandinavian cookbook home with a neat recipe. They chop the gravlax into little pieces and put it in a ring mold, and present it with the little dab of horse radish cream on top. That would be nice if you have trouble making pretty slices out of all the fillets.

Dennis,

Thanks for the post and for bringing back some great memories!

We made gravlax on the bank of the Kanektok River with fresh, bright Chum. It doesn't get any better!

Now if I could just get some down here in E.Texas........

Ed

Ed,

I already tried to pitty routine and it didn't work the stuff sounds wonderful. But I am not going to pay what they want at the local grocery for salmon fillets to try it. I think they consider it gold here.

Keith

Well, I HAD to try! I heard yesterday that Target is now only going to carry wild caught Alaska salmon and no more farmed stuff. I hope I can get some at a reasonable price.
By reasonable I mean something less than a first-born child & a second mortgage.

I haven't had a cold-smoked salmon filet or gravlax in over a year and I'm going through withdrawal.

Ed

Ed,

I can sympathize. My grandpa used to smoke fish and I haven't had any good home smoked fish in years. The stuff muledeer describes sounds delicious.

Keith

It is pretty fair, and all any of you have to do is stop by my house and you'll have it to eat .

Dennis

(Well, one of the commentors here won't eat mine, but somehow I'm OK with that .)

I'll eat it but dang it is a long drive!

Actually...it's not a drive at all... . No roads; no bridges. Well, OK, we have 42 miles of roads and some little bridges across the creeks. But basically -- plane or boat is the only way.

But you're certainly welcome here... .

Dennis

Dennis....quit teasin' me!

I was going to ask if they had built a road Outside instead of the Bridge...

Dennis,

I may be in Juneau this fall to hunt & fish with my best friend who now lives there. If I do make it up, I'll see about a hop to your fair city & we'll find an adult beverage somewhere?

Ed

Ed,

It's a deal. When are you coming up here? Flying or boating? Be easy to set up a day or so along the way here with either one, for that matter.

Looking forward to meeting you in person...

Dennis

Dennis
How does it feel being chastised about parasites by the idiot-savant of ground meat jerky? I guess bacteria is okay but parasites that cannot possibly survive the processing are a concern while you freeze your fish for textural reasons.

Pity some have to guess about what they post.

I think I will go to my Alaskan sakmon stocked freezer and remove some red and silver fillets and make a little this afternoon. Thanks for the inspiration.
art

The 'campfire has become a helpful training ground for me...mostly in how to ignore people, with an occasional snide response to keep them jerking... .

I made sockeye gravlax the first time this fall. Oh my lord... My effort to acquire reds just skyrocketed... I had the privilege of serving red gravlax at our friends' wedding January 1st, and a whole lot of people were pretty taken with it.

How you guys doing? We're supposed to have a day or two without rain about Monday and Tuesday. Daytime temps are running in the high 40's, so I think I'll go shooting. That will be different for February down here... .

Dennis

Isn't the salt there to kill the bacteria and parasites?

Among other things... .

Dennis

I think the salt is there for firming the fish and adding to the flavor... Gin and time probably do more than anything parasite wise.

I have about 20 pounds of silvers and reds defrosting... tomorrow I will see about assembling...

Salt helps cure the fish as does the acid that is typically added in Gravlox or even the peppercorn given enough time however none of those in the volumes used for a Gravlox recipe will diminish parasites to what would be considered a "safe" level. It shouldn't be that big of a deal to hit the Federal guidelines any how since most of us are probably are not pulling fish from the freezer in 48 hours. With fresh fish just leave it in the freezer a few weeks and be safe.
Bacteria in a recipe like this is primarily controlled by temperature and one one of the reasons why I'm not a fan of wrapping fish tightly in plastic wrap at home. The plastic wrap winds up insulating the fish and keeping it warmer than the air in the fridge. Higher temperature = more bacteria. The concept of using plastic wrap for Gravlox AFAIK was first published by Chef Sonnenschmidt and Chef Nicolas about 30 years ago although that method does not drain the fluid and uses it as part of the curing process.
While this article is about smoking it does touch on some of the guidelines and safe practices for handling fish and killing parasites.

http://www.uaf.edu/ces/publications-db/catalog/hec/FNH-00325.pdf


On edit;



Just saving that one for posterity or maybe in Arts case post-derriere. Kinda funny how trying to help is like giggin fer frogs around here at times. All you have to do is post a few facts, kick back, get the popcorn and wait for em to hook themselves. You know your good to go when you hear em squealing on the end of the line.

On edit;


Originally Posted By: Sitka deer
How does it feel being chastised about parasites by the idiot-savant of ground meat jerky? I guess bacteria is okay but parasites that cannot possibly survive the processing are a concern while you freeze your fish for textural reasons.
art


"Just saving that one for posterity or maybe in Arts case post-derriere."
_________

So sarcasm is lost on the tool, too. My point is you seem to find bacteria in ground jerky acceptable (because you cook it at 200F) but get worked up over parasites that will not survive the processing.

Do you ever actually "DO" anything? You post a site again with numbers that do not work. If you actually had a frigging clue what you were saying, (ie had actually done something) there might be an argument. As it is, you prove again you are guessing.

Show us the "acid component" in your version of typical lox preparation. And please show us where the posted recipe falls high. Surely you have calculated the predicted pH...
art

eta... Dropped the red line back in there so the quote would be returned to the intended context because the Guesser tried to make it look like something it was not...

I know it may come as a shock to you but Lox and Gravlox are not always the same beast. Kinda funny how you think were all going to die a slow painful death from eating ground jerky but ya think some magic transformation takes place and parasites die when a fish is processed. (eyes roll back in head).
Back to your question and this is really for the benefit of others. Try any standard CIA text like The Art of Garde Manger (page 152, Lemon juice) by the Chefs already noted. Ya know, the ones that actually created this method before it was hacked.
Next you can go to The New Professional Chef (5th edition) page 684 - 685 for the technique including how to cut the fish. Page 706 for the recipe which calls for the juice of one lemon per fillet.
Look up Emeril's recipes. IIR he uses either OJ or orange zest. Thomas Keller does a twist on the classic in The French Laundry cook book that uses citrus. It's a long list but the citrus component is small potatoes compared to handling and cutting the fish properly.
Pretty common at the moment is the use of citrus infused vodka.
Finally do yourself a favor and get a copy of Harold McGees on Food and science so you can at least have some clue instead of just offering lip service.
BTW. Unless your a bone hawk (or parasite) that hangs out in roadside rest rooms I don't think grown men actually call each other "tools" outside of your fantasy land.

The way I set up the plastic protects the fish, and drains the fluid off at the same time. It has been working very well for a bunch of years, so I'm not liable to stop doing it. Where I keep the gravlax while it's being made is cool enough to work right, and is modified to maintain a temperature that fits the season. And checked regularly with a thermometer, as needed.

Stetson, I don't know anything about you, except that you're fairly rude in your commentary. I do know Art, pretty well, and I know for a fact that he knows quite a lot more about many many things than I do, and I respect him for that. I also like him as a guy quite a lot. You, on the other hand, I neither like nor respect much, and you haven't shown us anything to make any of us in Alaska grow any in that category.

Sorry, dude, but you've brought it on.

Dennis

Just came back from the local grocery store. Salmon is $10 a pound.

From the Online Slang Dictionary:
Definition of tool
tool
noun

an "un-cool" person; LOSER; WANNA-BE.
That guy is such a tool.

http://onlineslangdictionary.com/definition+of/tool

That would be the first definition in the list and I find it fits perfectly... I can easily understand why you only recognize the other definition.


Why would you assume I do not know the difference between things we get to make with stuff we actually catch ourselves, every year? Serious case of envy; or stupidity?

You posted "Ya know, the ones that actually created this method before it was hacked."

You absolute freaking moron!!!!!!!!! Just exactly how did they create that little method in medieval times? You know the guys that actually did it back 1000 years ago or so? The ones that did not usually have a lemon tree in the front yard.

How about the Danish lady friend that makes it like her grandfather taught her? He learned it from his father about the turn of the century... 1900 or so. Yeah they must have time traveled to hack it!

And now for the obvious point... In the OP there is something there... Did you calculate the pH? Certainly you know how to do that... Don't you?

Oh, having parasite conversations with you is obviously a waste. Either you are too slow to keep up or you are deliberately obtuse. Either is enough to make you the poser, wannabe, loser tool I mentioned a post or so ago.
art

Darryl
Just finished wrapping the front halves from two reds and one silver. I also did one entire smallish silver fillet.

The front of the one silver was from one of the kodiak monster fish and is literally as much fish as the other stuff combined. It was a fish easily pushing 20#.

And I find you a good guy, too!
art

Uhmm ya think they used the plastic wrap method back then Artsy? Do ya think they had booze or other acids like vinegar big fella?
Bottom line. Your assertion is that there are no parasites on a processed fish. Dead wrong.
Freezing for 48 hours in a home freezer is adequate to kill parasites. Dead wrong.
Citrus or acid is never a component in Gravadlox. Wrong.
I noticed how you don't want to comment on the recipes you asked for or the University link that clearly shows you are incorrect.
Let the squealing continue. LOL

Your cluelessness is only exceeded by your arrogance...

Well, that and your lack of comprehension skills.

Or your expectation that "this method" after several pages referred to one particular method and not the general concept of gravlax.

I did not in anyway or form state there are no parasites on processed fish. Reread it... or mouth the words, they are mostly small words and still there.

Funny you should try reversing fields and claim some insight into keeping things sterile. And of course the noteworthy part suggesting it cannot be done.

Yup, tool still fits under the first definition...
art

Stetson
Oh, and two additional points.
Your University link makes a fatal error I have mentioned more than once previously in other places. It absolutely is NOT EVER done in a commercial smoking operation. Go ahead and see if you can find. Because you have to guess about things, or Google them, it will likely continue to escape you.

Also, Artsy is a term of endearment reserved for cute females. It gives me the creeps when you say it because I fear you really want to be one...
art

Newsflash. No one is talking about commercial operations or smoking in this thread but nice attempt at deflection.
I didn't figure you'd have any trouble claiming superior knowledge over a University.

snort.

Your words;



The difference between no parasaties or dead parasites is not much. Either way "processing" fish other than freezing does not kill parasites (Dats da point) and even then the protein needs to frozen to a time/temperature equation. Two days at 0 degrees doesn't kill em.
Case closed.

Your comprehension still sucks...

And yup, the University article has a fatal flaw and if you had even the slightest clue you would realize your argument is completely hollow.

And you are still the idiot advocating stirring your bacteria into the center of wet meat and cooking it at 200F...

You cannot close a case because you cannot make one...

Oops. Didn't know that.

Off to edit some posts.

It's like talking to a washing machine stuck on spin cycle. Now it's yet another topic. LOL
I guess in your world 140 degrees doesn't kill bacteria. Every ones wrong but you. HACCP guidelines are wrong, Universities are wrong, Some of the worlds best Chef's are wrong.
Yaaaaaawn.

Obviously you are not bright enough to follow along... In the university link you posted there is a practice listed which is against every chef, every commercial fish smoker, and almost every other description from every other source I have ever seen.

More importantly, in decades of smoking tons of fish I have found the practice to be the fastest, simplest way to ruin the fish, every time. Because you have nothing but guesses to work with it eludes you.

And agin you put words in my mouth. I never said 140 did not kill bacteria. You are not bright enough to keep up. Your quote above references the post you made which says you cook your jerky at 200F because that is what the health folks say to do to make it safe... Mostly because you want to stir bacteria into meat by grinding it. Jerky is a dried, not cooked product. The stuff produced by cooking at 200F per your recipe is garbage.

If you dispute that it is because you have never tried it or have absolutely no concept of quality food. I actually think it is both. From calling all cod the same species to your classless proclamations about your perfect cooking gear to total putzness in every category... What a tool.
art

Just in case no one got a glimpse of Art off his medication before this here's the thread I call
"You WILL Die a slow painful death if you eat ground meat jerky!"

http://24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/topics/2585763/1


Kinda hard to over look that Art starts off by saying 160 kills ecoli and by the end of the thread he's trying to tell every one bringing the internal temperature of 160 will destroy the jerky. Yeaaaaaaaaaah
Just a thought Art but if you put ground jerky in a oven that will only go down to 200-225 degrees (like most home ovens) and prop the door open it's no longer 200 degrees.
A little common sense pulling the product out at the right internal temperature helps just a bit.
Maybe a Jehovas withness will knock on yer door today and you can finish your binge with a bang.
Hey art wanna tell us what a Scrod is again? Or should I pull up your claim....... LOL


Yup your the zen master of Google. A regular fountain of knowledge.

Stetson
You are special! Eight major departures from fact in one post with a frosting of several other errors, depending on how you count them... And you want to pick at using scrod? A term used exactly as I posted?

You had just four sentences and got more than two errors per, on average.
----------------------------------------

#2738036 - 01/18/09 06:50 AM Re: COD [Re: rob p]
Stetson
Campfire Tracker

Registered: 01/24/04
Posts: 5669 Originally Posted By: rob p
It's funny you say scrod! There's no such fish. I worked on fishing boats for 2 years and the term "scrod" evolved as a catch all for fish like cod (pollock, haddock, hake, tomcod) to make selling easier.


Pollack, haddock, hake, turbot, whiting and even pollack are all sub-species of cod. The marketing has become difficult to filter through but I expect that was the intention. Kinda sad that to get top dollar for cod now many are labeling it "true cod".
Look at what's become of the blue crab industry with all that imported "blue swimming crab" being passed off as genuine blue crab.
_________________________
A gourmet who thinks of calories is like a tart, who looks at her watch.
James Beard
-----------------------------------------

And so now you agree there is a fatal flaw in the University piece you posted? You actually caught it? Someone told you, right?

And it is the exact same flaw in your jerky argument, no? So you want to pretend I was not absolutely correct the whole time? You want to pretend you had a clue?

And I was the Google commando?

Freaking tool!
art

To anyone else reading this I apologize, but Stetson has a long career here and most of it has been as a complete jerk. Without going into all the different things, because it would take a very long time... He is a pretender with a penchant for gross error. He has all the CAI text books and thinks that makes him a chef.

But beyond that he has the capacity to annoy me like few others. So he is now joining Jeff O as the only other tool worthy of Ignore.
art

SCORE!






Nah, It's days that end like this that help make me a Chef. You wouldn't make it through a single shift in a real professional kitchen buttercup.

I ain't got a dog in this fight, but I have to say that I like both Sitka and Stetson. I have learned from both.

I just drained the liquid from the fish and the typical difference in the silver compared to the red is showing. There was way over twice the liquid in the silvers compared to reds. The reds are already far more firm.
art

Thanks Sam. I've learned plenty from you and many of the other guys here as well. For me one of the most interesting things about this work is that you can never know it all. There is always some thing more to learn.

I see that you are on furlough from the nut house....
So.... How is the resident kept fry cook doing these days?

The red is much firmer than the silver now and the texture is excellent. The silver has far more flavor from the dill and Aquivet, but will take more time to firm up properly. Neither sucks...

Bart
I get this cool thing when I look at the fry cook's post:

*** You are ignoring this poseur ***
Toggle the display of this pos

I'll agree to the red being quite nice. Art kept stuffing me with it until I said no mas.

Ya mean Aquavit? The same product that has......Citrus?

LOL

Just took about 5 pounds of the original out of the smoker. I gave it about an hour of intense, but very cool hickory, cherry, and maple smoke.

I will have to let the odors die down before I can judge the fish even remotely. Right now it smells pretty frigging good!

The first of two loaves of marbled rye is in the oven, to go with crackers, cream cheese, and mustard sauce. Thinking it will not suck.
art

You guys still pissin in each other's Post Toasties? I've learned a little from everyone of you..........lighten up for cryin out loud.

No, I am finished with the poseur... Which incidentally starts with POS. Coincidence? I don't think so.

The Fish did not suck. I made a couple loaves of marbled rye bread with dill seeds and sliced it very thin. I brought the red onion and forgot all about it... Put gravalax slice on a slice of rye, added a chunk of cream cheese, drizzled it with a honey and mustard sauce, and dropped a few capers on that.
art

Hi Sitka

I only get to gravad Seatrout over here ( UK )very pale and fat-full when fresh run. How do you reduce the fat in cold smoking?
or extra pressing ? Any advice welcome.

PS off subject - Note from previous entry you had a SA Mastery 1011 spare spool - do you have this yet?

Ambrose

Ambrose
I have no desire to reduce the fat! Fat is where it's at! Our king salmon is extremely fat, especially the bellies. Kippering is the better way to go maybe for them.

The cold smoke was just to add the smoke to the fish, not to dry nor cook it. It adds a lot IMO as long as you keep the amount of smoke down.

Silver salmon (coho) is often considered the best gravad species.

What we generally term cold smoking fish produces a very dry, hard product, like jerky. pak is the king of outstanding cold smoked fish.

Sorry, that spare spool went away.
art

Did ya Google Aquavit yet Art and figure out what it is or how to spell it? Tell us again how Citrus is never used in Gravlax but it tastes "better" with it.
Whooooops!
You can't even use an original insult. You had to lift that from one of my old posts. Feckin idiot. LOL
Tell us again why your not a moderator any more.

Stetson...if you were right you would still be an arrogant jerk. Fortunately, when it comes to Art, at least, you are also wrong.

I encounter very few people here who I find degradingly despicable. You are one of the few.

Dennis

Dennis
I get the coolest thing every time I look at his posts...

I hear he is really working at engaging me... But it ain't happenin'. Useless tools are best ignored...
art

Hmmmmm Seems a bit like the pot calling the kettle black.

"Thank you so much for providing all that you are certain I need to know. Forgive me for not answering your questions, though, because I really have no interest in incessant trading of fish-catching/fish-eating thoughts."


"when it comes to Art, at least, you are also wrong"


Ya mean he's still a moderator?

Sitka thank you for your advice re S/trout, much appreciated. Yes and sorry to hear the SA 1011 spool is sold.

Ambrose