Recipe

Bombay Sapphire gravlax

Bombay Sapphire gravlax

Photo 1 of 2
by Marie Viljoen

Bombay Sapphire gravlax

Photo 2 of 2
by Marie Viljoen

  • This recipe was entered in the contest for Your Best Salmon
  • Chef

    Marie Viljoen's Notes: I love raw, fresh wild salmon. I love good gin. What follows is a happy, happy marriage. This is lightly cured by most gravlax standards, as it takes a day rather than three, but it preserves...

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Serves 6

  1. You need a dish wide enough to hold your salmon side comfortably, as well as a smaller dish to weigh it down, with a brick, or cans, anything heavy, on top of that.

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  2. Rinse and pat dry your salmon. Remove pin bones if there are any.

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  3. Combine the dill, lemon zest, lemon juice and gin.

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  4. Pour half this mixture into the dish that will hold the fish.

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  5. Sprinkle half the peppercorns, salt and sugar over the base of the dish.

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  6. Lay your salmon, skin side down, in the dish.

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  7. Add the remaining ingredients over the side facing up.

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  8. Lay a sheet of clingfilm (or greaseproof paper if you are worried about what's in the plastic) over the salmon.

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  9. Place a nesting dish or any dish that can cover the length of the salmon, on top. Weigh this down with cans, side by side, or a brick, or baking beans. You get the idea.

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  10. Place this in the fridge for 6 hours minimum, 12 hours maximum.

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  11. Flip the fish, so that the orange side is facing down. Sometimes I taste the juice at this point and and a little more seasoning.

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  12. Put it back in the fridge for another 6-12 hours.

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  13. Remove from fridge and pat dry.

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  14. With a very sharp knife, with fish placed skin side down, separate skin from meat by sliding the blade between the two.

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  15. Carve into medium-thin slices.

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  16. Serve with good seven grain style bread and excellent butter. Lemon wedges and more black pepper on the side don't hurt.

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5 Comments on Bombay Sapphire gravlax

52 Reply

fantastic photo and recipe

Winnie100 Reply

This looks absolutely fantastic. Is alcohol essential to the process? If I don't happen to love gin, can another type of alcohol be used?

Marie_viljoen_small Reply

Hey there WinnieAb - personally, I like the juniper spiciness of gin, but you could certainly substitute vodka, especially a citrus vodka. Scandinavians would use an eau de vie. What do you think?

Marie_viljoen_small Reply

Hmm, let me know how it turns out!

186003_1004761561_1198459_n Reply

This sounds like a match made in heaven!....this recipe went straight into my printer so I can make it later. A little (very little) wild salmon has been showing up at farmer's market.

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