Beet-Cured Gravlax Recipe
I have been making straightforward gravlax — using just dill, salt and sugar — for years, and always toyed with the idea of making a beet version. To be honest, the beet only flavors the fish flesh slightly, but makes its mark through the color it imparts. A platter of sliced beet-cured gravlax is just glorious looking: furls of coral edged with crimson. This is a splendid dish for feeding a lot of people (it's a boon at Christmas) and it doesn't take much effort. Go for organically farmed salmon from a good source or wild Alaskan salmon.
Beet-Cured Gravlax Recipe
Prep Time
45
minutes
Cook Time
0
minutes
Servings
14
Total time: 45 minutes
Ingredients
- 2 3/4 pound tail piece of salmon
- 1/3 cup vodka
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup sea salt flakes
- 2 tablespoons coarsely ground black pepper
- large bunch of dill
- 5 raw beets
Directions
- Check the salmon for any bones your fish dealer might have missed (rubbing your hand along the flesh is the best way to find them). Remove any you find with tweezers.
- Line a dish big enough to hold the salmon with a double layer of aluminum foil (I usually use a roasting pan). Put one of the pieces of salmon, skin down, on top. Rub it with half the vodka.
- Mix together the sugar, salt, pepper, dill and beet and spread it over the salmon. Pour the rest of the vodka over the fish and put the other piece of salmon (skin up) on top.
- Pull the foil up around the fish, then put some weights on top (such as cans, jars or a heavy cutting board). Refrigerate and let cure for two to four days, turning every so often. Liquid will seep out of the salmon in this time; just pour it off.
- Remove the foil and scrape the cure off both pieces of fish. To serve, slice as you would smoked salmon (leave the skin behind). Use as needed and keep, wrapped, in the refrigerator for a week.
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