We love brunch! My husband and I like to have a leisurely Saturday or Sunday brunch at home or out. I wish we could have it more often but those of you with children or weekend jobs know that leisurely brunches are few and far between. If you can plan ahead to make brunch you can make this simple recipe of Gravlax. Gravlax is a salt cured salmon that is refrigerated for three days. The salt “cooks” the fish. You can put the Gravlax on bagels with cream cheese, crackers witha dill sauce or Creme fresh or scramble them into eggs. The uses are endless really. We used to buy lox at the store but as my daughter got older she liked to eat it too and it just got to be so expensive that I decided to create my own recipe. I really enjoy the flavors I use in this recipe but once you get the technique down you can add whatever flavors you like. This recipe serves 8-10 depending how much your people eat!
Tools
- 9×13″ pan
- aluminum foil
- 2 large weights such as rocks, bricks, or cans
- cutting board
- zester/rasp/grater
- VERY sharp knife
- pliers**
- baster
- paper towel
Ingredients 
- 1 1/2 of fresh wild salmon with skin
- 1/2 cup kosher salt
- 1/2 cup of sugar
- bunch of fresh dill
- one orange- zest and juice
- teaspoon of white pepper
Recipe
Slice your filet in half evenly as you can. Trace your finger down the fish and feel for bones. If you feel some use your pliers and pull it out.
Lay one half of your salmon skin side down onto your pan. Mix your salt sugar, orange zest and stir to combine. Spread half of your mixture onto the salmon filet. Make sure the mixture covers every inch of salmon.
Place your dill on top of the salt/sugar mixture. Pour the rest of the salt/sugar mixture on top of the dill. Add your other half of salmon skin side up on top of the salt mixture. I like to squeeze the juice of the orange around the fish (If it’s a really juicy orange just use half) Wrap your pan with foil tucking around the salmon pieces. Weight down the salmon with your rocks, bricks or cans. Place in the fridge. IMPORTANT step: Twice a day you need to uncover your salmon, flip it over and baste with the juices that will come out of the fish. After the first day the salt/sugar juices will turn syrupy and that’s what you want. Rewrap the salmon and weigh it down.
On the third day, take out the salmon and rinse the excess salt and herbs off the fish. It will have shrunk in size and feel very firm. Pat dry with paper towel. Either wrap it tightly and store it or slice it up and eat it!! Put it on a cutting board and with a VERY SHARP knife at about a 75 degree angle slice super thin slices of your beautiful gravlax. You should be able to almost see through it. I serve mine with brown cocktail bread and a honey mustard sauce*.
DELISH TIP 1: The honey mustard sauce is found under sauces on this site.
