Homemade Pink Salmon Gravlax
Have you ever tried Pink Salmon Gravlax? It is a great classic of Nordic cuisine. Today’s recipe for Homemade Pink Salmon Gravlax is perfect for the holidays because, thanks to the secret I’ll tell you below, the salmon turns a beautiful pink colour. Something to impress your guests!
What is gravlax salmon?
Gravlax salmon is a way of preparing salmon that is similar to smoked salmon, except that it is not smoked but just marinated in a salty preparation and generally seasoned with spices such as juniper and sometimes dill.
The salmon marinates at least 24 hours in the fridge. The traditional recipe even calls for marinating it for two to three days, removing the excess water that escapes from the salmon every day. But don’t worry: the following recipe is much faster, easier and just as good!
Gravlax is traditionally served thinly sliced on bread or with potato salad. Its taste is finer than that of smoked salmon.
Which salmon to choose?
To prepare homemade salmon gravlax, it is important to select a very fresh fish as for tartar or sushi. Choose a salmon fillet without the skin. You can also prepare it with salmon back or steak.
How long can I keep homemade salmon gravlax?
This is an important issue because we’re talking about fresh fish. Because the gravlax salmon has been marinated in salt, a natural preservative, it has a longer shelf life than fresh fish.
Once marinated, it can be kept for 4 to 5 days in the refrigerator or 3 months in the freezer (see below).
How do you get the pink color of this Homemade Pink Salmon Gravlax?
You are probably wondering where the pink colour of this gravlax salmon comes from. The secret is to add a grated beetroot to the salted preparation where the salmon will marinate.
Beetroot is a natural dye. If you’re worried, like me, that you won’t like the beet and salmon mixture, don’t worry, you won’t taste the beetroot once the salmon is marinated.
More festive recipes
- Christmas Apple Roses
- Monkfish with Lime and Sage
- Pasta with Chanterelle Mushrooms and Cream
- Strawberry Tartelettes with Crème Pâtissière
Recipe for Homemade Pink Salmon Gravlax
For 8 servings you need the following ingredients.
Ingredients
- 500 g salmon fillet
- 5 cl of gin
- 2 red beetroots
- 1 tablespoon juniper berries
- 1 tablespoon of fennel seeds
- 50 g salt
- 20 g sugar
Are you missing an ingredient? Here are some tips on how to substitute certain ingredients.
Preparation
In a small bowl, pour the gin, salt and sugar. Mix well until the salt and sugar dissolve.
Peel the beetroot and grate it finely. Use kitchen gloves because beetroot stains! Add the beetroot to the gin and add the juniper and fennel seeds.
Put half of the preparation in a glass dish, place the salmon filet. If you have two fillets, you can add a layer of marinade between the two fillets.
Finish with the remaining marinade. Close your dish with cling film. Place a weight on the salmon, such as a milk carton.
Leave to marinate for at least 24 hours in the refrigerator.
After 24 hours, remove the salmon fillets from the dish. Rinse and dry on paper towels.
Cut into thin slices and serve on slices of wholemeal bread, for example, topped with fresh cheese, cucumber and dill.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I substitute some of the ingredients ?
As with every blog post, here are some tips for substituting ingredients in this recipe:
- Gin: You can replace gin with vodka or aquavit, a brandy from the Nordic countries.
- Beetroot : You can remove the beetroot, however it is the beetroot that gives the salmon its beautiful pink colour.
- Juniper berries: You can replace juniper berries with red berries.
- Fennel seeds: You can replace fennel seeds with cumin seeds, mustard seeds, dill seeds etc.
- Sugar: You can replace the sugar with one and a half teaspoons of honey.
How long can I keep homemade gravlax?
See my explanations above.
Can you freeze homemade gravlax?
You can also freeze the gravlax. You can freeze it whole or slice it. In this case, before freezing, place sheets of baking paper between the slices of gravlax. That way, you can take it out from time to time, depending on your needs.
Gravlax can be kept for 3 months in the freezer.
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Homemade Pink Salmon Gravlax
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Equipment
- Glas dish
- Cling film
Ingredients
- 500 g salmon fillet
- 5 cl of gin
- 2 beetroots
- 1 tablespoon juniper berries
- 1 tablespoon fennel seeds
- 50 g salt
- 20 g sugar
Instructions
- In a small bowl, pour the gin, salt and sugar. Mix well until the salt and sugar dissolve.
- Peel the beetroot and grate it finely. Use kitchen gloves because beetroot stains! Add the beetroot to the gin and add the juniper and fennel seeds.
- Put half of the preparation in a glass dish, place the salmon filet. If you have two fillets, you can add a layer of marinade between the two fillets.
- Finish with the remaining marinade. Close your dish with cling film. Place a weight on the salmon, such as a milk carton.
- Leave to marinate for at least 24 hours in the refrigerator.
- After 24 hours, remove the salmon fillets from the dish. Rinse and dry on paper towels.
- Cut into thin slices and serve on slices of wholemeal bread, for example, topped with cream cheese, cucumber and dill.
