How to cook salmon gravlax. Gravlax - salted salmon in Swedish. Gravlax with vodka

Landscaping 17.09.2020

Landscaping

Yes, you do not know what you are writing about. The translation of the Swedish word for Gravad is “pickled”, and the “buried” you claim could be the word Graved (buried, cut out). One letter, but a completely different meaning. By the way, Gravid means Pregnant. Also only one letter, and as a result, pregnant salmon is easily obtained :-)
In Finnish gravlax is graavilohi, which means spicy (graavi) salmon (lohi). And in other Scandinavian languages \u200b\u200bsomething similar. On the Internet, there are a lot of myths, similar to the myth of gravlax, which are famously and thoughtlessly spread on English and Russian-language sites with coli-paste. In order not to get into a mess, see national sites, in particular - Swedish.

Brave claim. And who are you?

Who am I? Bob Popov, PhD in a couple of high-tech sciences, California resident, extreme mountain hiker, lover of real Thai cuisine (not Chinese ersatz like Pad Thai) and generally an inquisitive person, due to the specifics of his specialty, work and experience, does not take anything for granted ... Believe me, the Internet is more like a trash heap than a storehouse of reliable knowledge, including Pedivicia - and information must be checked from it so as not to goof off on an empty place.

Nice to meet you, Bob. I am ready to take your word for it, given your qualifications, and also the fact that I, unlike you, at some point realized one simple thing - in my particular case, perfectionism is dangerous. It takes a long time to explain the reasons, but if it is interesting, I'll tell you somehow. And I will add that even based on your explanation, gravad lax in no way means "smoked", as the girl wrote above.

I agree about the girl. But I didn't comment on it. And I really can't. When checking translations of Scandinavian words in both directions (to / from Russian and to / from English), I used the Google Dictionary. And he is also not perfect. Perhaps gravad has a meaning close to smoked, perhaps not. And also to get extra. info and confirmations I have searched the Swedish sites (.se, it seems). It was interesting to me - I myself was influenced by the myth of gravlax and decided to cook salmon in this old way. And I was extremely surprised when I did not find this ancient recipe on the Internet. And then I figured out everything else.

Is Merriam-Webster a worthy source for you? In my opinion, quite. And this is what they write:

Origin of GRAVLAX
Swedish gravlax or Norwegian gravlaks, from grav pit, hole, grave + Swedish lax, Norwegian laks salmon
First Known Use: 1848

Even if THEY are wrong, then I’m not so ashamed of following them.

I agree, this is a good American explanatory dictionary, compiled on the basis of already rooted and generally accepted meanings in the United States. But generally accepted, this does not mean that it is correct. Is not it? When browsing Swedish sites, I did not see the name Gravlax, everywhere I looked - Gravad Lax (pickled salmon). Well, remove anything from Gravlax - pickled salmon, buried salmon, pregnant salmon. Americans like "buried" because they understand Grave, but not Gravad. By the way, in your introduction you definitely speak about gravad lax, but not about graved lax. Well, okay, don't pay attention. The main thing is that gravlax was not prepared by fermentation. And then, the ancient one that really ferments even now is Rackfisk. And this word is not in Merriam Webster, it is not a popular word in America. But the Swedes, I think, don't care about anything - they know gravad lax, they know rackfisk, and they're not mistaken.

Is it possible that ordinary Swedes do not know the origin of their words well enough? In my opinion, quite. Can the Swedish source be considered more authoritative when it comes to the affairs of bygone days? In my opinion, not always. Well, I also never spoke about the fact that gravlax is prepared by fermentation.

Yes, here's a little more about Merriam-Webster in the Thai food topic, which is closer to me than gravlax. There is a dish called Pad Thai in English. A respected explanatory dictionary claims that this is a Thai dish (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pad%20thai). In English-language recipes, dishes from Americans (and in Russian-speaking ones too) are aspirated about it as national, like Russian cabbage soup for Russia. In American newspapers, it is used to evaluate the quality of local Thai restaurants. But the Thais themselves do not think so. For example, my Thai kitchen guru teacher, originally from Thailand, translates Pad Thai as Thai style rice noodles (but not like Thai rice noodles) and claims that it is an invention of adventurous southern Chinese who adapted their Chinese recipe to Thai tastes somewhere in the 60s. In Thailand itself, Pad Thai is street food, and asking to serve Pad Thai at a local restaurant is like ordering a sandwich with milk sausage in a glamorous Moscow restaurant. So much for Merriam-Webster. He describes the interpretation accepted in the United States, even if it does not correspond to national traditions and meaning in the original country.

In buried salted fish, fermentation takes place, in other words, fermentation. And nothing more.

You smoothly moved from etymology, the origin of words, to the origin of dishes - but this is a much more complicated story. That there is pad thai - the origin of the same herring under a fur coat, and it is impossible to establish with absolute certainty, but Merriam Webster is still never a culinary encyclopedia.

Well, you are wrong about fermentation. You can bury it in different ways, in fact, if you properly salt (and not "salt") - this will be no different from the usual salting when the fish is placed under pressure.

It is much more profitable and practical to buy a whole fish and butcher it at home. And on gravlax there will be two large fillets with skin, and the head, fins and ridge will remain for a delicious soup.

For cutting, wash the fish, if necessary, with a rough dishwashing mitten. Cut off the head and fins of the fish. Rip open the belly and clean out the insides. Rinse. Cut the fish to the bone along the side of the ridge. Then separate both fillet halves from the backbone and abdominal bones. Remove excess bones with tweezers or a small knife. Rinse fish pieces under cold water and pat dry.

For salting fish in two ways, you will need two separate trays, you can use disposable plastic ones. Fillet to be salted according to the classic recipe, place in a container or suitable container, skin side down. Mix half of the salt and sugar and sprinkle on the fish fillets, distribute evenly so that there are no empty spaces.

On top of the sprinkled fillet, add 30 g of vodka. In this case, it has the function of disinfection and an additional preservative. The salt and sugar will start to melt and work faster.

Chop a bunch of dill along with the stems and even umbrellas, put on top of the fish in a thick layer.

Connoisseurs and lovers of gravlax have been stocking up young dried dill with twigs and umbrellas since summer. And it works great too! Even better than the winter store in supermarkets.

The next layer is the zest of half a lemon. You can rub directly over the fish, without being too zealous, so that only the top, fragrant layer is rubbed.

Fish preparation is over! Now you need to cover it with cling film, which you do not need to regret, because the fish will give juice. You can cover it with several layers. Put oppression on top of the film.

The oppression should be sufficiently heavy and even, and also take into account the size and dimensions of the refrigerator where the fish will be cooked.

Those who practice the preparation of such delicacies at home, most likely, have acquired, for example, a bag of sand, it is quite heavy and evenly distributed over the desired surface.

Put the first future gravlax in the refrigerator.

For the second type of gravlax with beets it is better to take a container with a larger volume, as a result of cooking more juice is released, because the breading is more complex and juicy. Place the fillets skin side down on the bottom of the container.

Spread the second half of the salt and sugar over the surface of the fish in the same way as in the first case. Drizzle with the remaining vodka.

Now for the special ingredients! Spread a layer of horseradish on top of the fillets. Grate large raw beets on a fine grater and place on top of the fish.

Attention!

The layer should be tight and cover the fillets well.

Sprinkle the beets with the second chopped bunch of dill and the zest of half a lemon. Flatten.

On top of the fish, you need to put oppression in the same way as in the first case.

We cover the fish with several layers of cling film so that the beetroot juice does not leak. As an alternative to a bag of sand, say, a kilogram bag of fine salt can be excellent. For safety, it is better to wrap it in an additional plastic bag. Still, beets are an aggressive colorant.

Distribute the oppression evenly and remove the second gravlax in the refrigerator to the company before the first.

The fish will ready in 48 hours.

In two days, the time will come to get the fish. Take out the fillet that was salted in the traditional way, remove the load and the film, blot with napkins from excess moisture, let dry a little.

The fillet that was under the beetroot layer will give much more moisture. Remove the fillet from the container, peel the dill, beets and zest, wrap with a towel and blot well. Also let it dry for a while.

So, gravlax is ready. The classic recipe for cooking at the exit gives an elastic fish pulp, with a bright dill aroma, moderately salty. You can store such fish for several days in the refrigerator.wrapped in a cloth soaked in salted water and placed in a plastic bag.

Beetroot gravlax objectively looks more elegant! The bright beetroot hue, meanwhile, adds color only to the top edge of the fish fillet. As for the taste, it will obviously seem more interesting to those who love experiments in the kitchen.

Serving gravlax is simple.

It is important to remember only one rule, it is better to cut it at an angle of 30-45 degrees, depending on taste and skill.

Slices of such fish as part of fish slices, served with lemon and a fresh portion of dill twigs, a bread basket and soft butter will look great. It is noteworthy that homemade gravlax, as a rule, turns out to be cut much more accurately than lightly salted pieces of fish bought at the market or in the supermarket.

Gravlax beetroot practically encourages creativity! Cut off the first slice and you will know what this is about! Beautiful bright fuchsia contour combined with the rest of the orange flesh of the fillet ... Absolutely amazing flowers can be twisted from these slices! Or even just laid on a dish, they will bring bright impressionist strokes to the table palette!

No matter how later the fate of gravlax in your kitchen develops, you can bet that the first thing the slices will be on the familiar and loved by everyone sandwiches! Charismatic black bread, soft butter or curd cheese and these divine slices! Well, you can't do without fresh dill either ...

Note to the hostess

Lightly salted fish is one of the favorite delicacies in our kitchen. And yet, if there is no way to eat cooked fish right away, but you don’t want to store it in a cloth and a bag, then you can prepare an appetizer from the leftovers, which will try to hold out for several days in your refrigerator so as not to be eaten right away.

Everything is very simple! The remaining fillet pieces, together or separately, are cut into slices as for serving and stacked in layers in a suitable size glass jar. Layers can be sprinkled with dill and finely chopped onions. Pour the appetizer with vegetable oil, seal it tightly and put it in the refrigerator.

After 12 hours, it will be a great addition to, say, hot boiled potatoes.

1 First you need to put sugar, three tablespoons of salt, vodka, zest from one lemon and orange zest in a bowl. Finely chop the dill, previously cooled in a bowl of water in the refrigerator. Add all this to the mixture and mix. After that, the salmon fillet must be placed in a bowl and rolled in such a marinade so that it completely covers the surface of the fish. Fillet pieces processed in this way are stacked so that the skin looks out. Then we cover all this with cling film and leave for 5 hours in the refrigerator.

2 In the meantime, you can start eating horseradish sauce. To do this, put sour cream, grated horseradish in a small bowl and pour it all over with lemon juice of half a lemon. Mix everything thoroughly, add a whisper of salt and a little olive oil. This mixture must also be put in the refrigerator and you can forget about it for some time.

3 Now we take the beets, put them also in a small bowl, add a little balsamic vinegar and salt. Knead all this with a fork until a coarse gruel is formed. You can add a little more vinegar, focusing on your own taste, after which we also put this cup in the refrigerator.

4 After five hours have elapsed, remove the salmon from the cup, rub until all excess salt is removed. Roll the fillet again in finely chopped dill, then wrap everything back in plastic and leave it in the refrigerator again.

5 When serving, the salmon fillets must be removed, skinned and cut into thin slices. The dish is served with horseradish sauce, embalmed beets, rye bread, lemon wedges and garnished with watercress. I (approx. Jamie Oliver) sometimes like to put a glass of vodka on the side of the dish when serving. Enjoy!

It's no secret that Jamie Oliver is constantly traveling the world. The equipment of hotels is very important for him. He often asks the hotel staff to cook this dish.

Watch Online Video Jamie Oliver's Recipe - Incredibly Fast Salmon Gravlax (in English)

Gravlax is a Scandinavian fish dish. This appetizer is prepared in Finland, Norway, Denmark, Iceland, but it is especially popular in Sweden. Fortunately, most tourists do not know Swedish, and the Swedes are calm about the literal translation of the word "gravlax".

Scandinavia is a maritime region. Locals have been catching and eating fish from time immemorial. But before there were no refrigerators, and the ancient sves came up with a special way of storing the catch. They took salmon, generously salted and rubbed it with various spices, and then buried it in the ground or sand. Hence the name - "buried" or "buried" salmon. It doesn't sound too appetizing, but the fish turned out to be incredibly tasty - moderately salty, spicy, tender, literally melting in the mouth.

Nowadays, the technology has changed somewhat - the fish are no longer buried. Instead, cling film or foil is used. But the ingredients are the same. The main component is fatty red fish of the salmon family (salmon, trout, pink salmon, and so on).

Also, for the marinade, you will definitely need coarse salt (better - sea salt), sugar, black pepper and dill. In addition, there are recipes for gravlax with the addition of beets, horseradish, vodka and other products. However, everything in order.

ccat82 / Depositphotos.com

This is the simplest recipe - minimum ingredients and minimum effort.

Ingredients:

500 g salmon fillet on the skin;
2 tablespoons of salt;
2 tablespoons of sugar;
2 teaspoons of ground black pepper;
1 bunch of fresh dill

Preparation

Step 1. Prepare the fish

It is better to take ready-made fillets. But if only whole fish is at hand, then it must be cut into rectangular layers (we do not cut off the skin), remove the bones, rinse under cold water and dry with paper towels.

Step 2. Mix the spices

The proportions of salt, sugar and pepper vary in different recipes. So, some put only one spoonful of sugar. In fact, do not be afraid - the fish will not be sweet. Therefore, it is recommended to mix sugar and salt in equal amounts. In addition, peppercorns are sometimes used instead of ground pepper, since they are considered more aromatic. But this is just a matter of taste.

So, sugar, salt and pepper must be combined in one bowl and mixed thoroughly.

Step 3. Chop the dill

You can use not only fresh, but also dried dill. The first is preferable. It needs to be rinsed and chopped finely.

marinakhlybova / Depositphotos.com

Step 4. Rub the fish

Each slice of salmon should be generously sprinkled with a mixture of spices and dill. Sugar, salt and pepper can even be slightly rubbed into the fish, and the dill should form a green "blanket" on top.

After that, the pieces must be stacked on top of each other so that the dill is inside and the skin is outside.

Step 5. Wrap up gravlax

Now you need to tightly wrap the resulting "sandwiches" with cling film and put in a container. To marinate faster, you can put something heavy on top. For example, a jar of water.

We send gravlax to the refrigerator. After two days, the fish can be eaten. But it is better to leave it for another couple of days - it will be even tastier. When the salmon is marinated, it must be unwrapped and cleaned of dill and seasonings.

zoryanchik / Depositphotos.com

This is a variation on the classic Scandinavian recipe.

Ingredients:

500 g salmon fillet on the skin;
2 tablespoons of coarse salt;
1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons of vodka;
1 teaspoon of black pepper;
½ teaspoon coriander;
1 lemon;
1 bunch of dill.

Preparation

We prepare salmon in the same way as in the previous recipe. Add coriander to the classic set of spices and mix everything thoroughly. Squeeze out the juice of half a lemon, and grate its zest. Mix lemon juice with vodka.

The fish must first be sprinkled with this liquid, and then sprinkled with zest and a mixture of salt, sugar, pepper and coriander. Top it up with finely chopped dill.

Next, the salmon must be wrapped with cling film, placed in a container and put under oppression. After two or three days, gravlax can be tried. Please note: the thinner the salmon slices, the faster it will marinate.

kingkonglive / Depositphotos.com

On the Runet, many believe that if beets are present in the gravlax recipe, then this is a variation of Jamie Oliver. In fact, the famous chef does not add beets to the marinade, but makes a sauce from them. We will get acquainted with Jamie's recipe a little later, but for now - a simpler beet gravlax.

Ingredients:

500 g salmon fillet on the skin;
4-5 tablespoons of coarse salt;
2-3 tablespoons of cane sugar;
1 small beet;
40 g fresh horseradish;
50 g of vodka or schnapps;
zest of 1 lemon;
1 large bunch of dill with umbrellas.

Preparation

Pre-prepared fillet slices should be poured with vodka and grated with a mixture of salt and sugar. We rub the horseradish on a grater and put it on the fish. Lay a layer of pre-cooked and mashed beets on top. Then sprinkle with grated lemon zest and finely chopped dill.

Wrap tightly in foil and place in a container. The container is needed so that the juice that stands out does not spread over the refrigerator. Do not forget to pin down the fish with something heavy. After two days, the appetizer can be unrolled, removed from the "fur coat", cut and served. Thanks to beets, gravlax is obtained with a burgundy edging, and due to horseradish it acquires a tart taste.

Jamie Oliver's Gravlax

Gravlax by Oliver is simple and original at the same time. The marinade is almost classic, and horseradish and beets are used for a sauce that sets off the taste of lightly salted salmon. To repeat Jamie's recipe, you need ...

Ingredients:

300 g salmon fillet (two pieces of 150 g each);
250 g beets;
1 ½ teaspoon of grated horseradish;
1 tablespoon cane sugar
4 tablespoons sour cream;
½ orange;
zest of 2 lemons;
3 tablespoons of sea salt;
fresh dill;
olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

Preparation

Mix sugar, salt, vodka, lemon and orange zest in one bowl. Chop finely and add dill. Mix everything thoroughly. Roll the pieces of salmon in the resulting marinade and place them on top of each other so that the skin is on top. We wrap the fish with cling film and send it to the refrigerator for five hours.

While the salmon is marinated, prepare the sauce. Mix sour cream, grated horseradish and the juice of half a lemon, add a pinch of salt and a little olive oil. Mix everything thoroughly. The first sauce is ready. You can put it in the refrigerator and do the second.

Knead the boiled beets with a fork, add a little balsamic vinegar and salt and mix well. You can also chill the beetroot sauce a little in the refrigerator.

When the fish is marinated, it should be cut into slices and served with horseradish and beetroot sauce. Can be garnished with dill sprigs and lemon wedges.

How and with what is gravlax

How to apply gravlax is also an important question. To begin with, the fish must be cut correctly: into thin oblong slices, almost like sliced \u200b\u200bslices. It is most convenient to do this with a large, wide knife. The salmon should melt in your mouth, but with large pieces, this effect will not work.

ccat82 / Depositphotos.com

Gravlax is considered a snack and is often used in canapés or simply placed on rye bread, crackers or chips. They, in turn, can be pre-spread with soft cheese or butter. Also gravlax goes well with young boiled potatoes.

zoryanchik / Depositphotos.com

Often special sauces are prepared for gravlax. You already know two of them (see Oliver's recipe). Here's another recipe.

Mustard honey sauce

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons of honey;
2 tablespoons of mustard;
1 tablespoon lemon juice
3 tablespoons olive oil
¼ teaspoon of salt;
dill.

Preparation

We mix mustard, lemon juice and honey (it should be liquid). Then gradually pour olive oil into this mixture. Mix thoroughly and add finely chopped dill and salt. If desired, you can also add black ground pepper.

Hunger is the best seasoning.
Swedish proverb

In fact, gravlax is good without sauces. Try at least once to cook salmon or other red fish according to one of the described recipes and you will understand why everyone is crazy about this dish.

If you have your own gravlax recipe, please share it with us in the comments.

Bon Appetit!

Gravad lax, gravlax, gravlax is either a fish, traditionally in Scandinavian countries, salmon, salted under pressure and using not only salt, but also sugar, and also vodka and dill. Dill, preferably fresh and in addition a branch with an umbrella for greater aroma. In this way, you can also salt other fish, not only salmon, but also salmon, trout, sockeye salmon, chum salmon, coho salmon ...

There is also a recipe on the Internet, designated as "gravlax from Jamie Oliver", which additionally contains fresh beets and horseradish. I was very interested in this option and wanted to try it! Absolutely all household members liked it and stuck on the menu. In the original recipes for gravlax, a fresh whole fish is taken and cut, but this time I have ready-made steaks, and not chilled, but defrosted. I often salt thawed fish, although it is inferior in taste to chilled fish, it still turns out to be tastier than purchased one.

Choose dishes for salting so that you can put some kind of oppression on it later. For example, food containers of different sizes, in order to salt in one, and put another, smaller in size on top with a load.

Prepare the ingredients according to the list:

Wash and dry the fish. If you will be using it whole, then cut it in half along the ridge. Do not remove the skin. Rub the pieces of fish with salt first.

Then sprinkle with demerara (brown sugar) or regular sugar.

Top with chopped horseradish (fresh, frozen or canned).

Peel and grate beets. Place the beetroot mass on the horseradish layer. Pour vodka evenly over the top.

The last layer is the selected spices and, without fail, dill. Since now is not the summer season and there are no branches of dill with umbrellas of flowers or seeds, I just chopped a bunch of dill right with the stems.

Press down with pressure, for example, weighing about 1.5 kg.

Salting time of gravlax is 24-48 hours. Remove the marinade from vegetables and spices from cooked salmon or other fish, drain the liquid.

Then cut the fish fillets from the skin, remove the bones and serve.

Lightly salted salmon glavrax is ready. It is great for sandwiches on a loaf, baguette, other white or cereal bread with butter or curd cheese, and is also great for serving in tartlets.