This salmon recipe is amazing when you want to impress. It looks quite cheffy; but actually, gravlax is super-easy to make at home.
Start by making your gravlax cure. Blitz 2 large fresh peeled beetroot, finely grated orange and lemon zest and crushed juniper berries to a fairly smooth paste. Transfer to a bowl and stir in 6 tablespoons of rock salt and 2 tablespoons of Demerara sugar. Pour in two shots of gin and mix well.
Lay a side of salmon skin-side down on a large baking tray and cover with the cure. Spread all over the flesh and make sure it’s evenly covered. Wrap the salmon in a double layer of greaseproof paper, then wrap tightly with clingfilm and place in the fridge for 24 hours.
Carefully unwrap the salmon. Holding the fish over a baking tray, splash over 100ml of cold water (or you can use gin!) a little at a time. Use a spoon to gently push the beetroot cure off the fish – it should be a really vibrant colour underneath.
Now your salmon’s ready for a second cure. Finely chop half a bunch each of fresh dill and tarragon, and mix with 4 tablespoons of finely grated fresh horseradish and 50ml of gin. Rinse out the baking tray and place the salmon back in, skin-side down. Pack the herby cure onto the salmon using your hands, making sure all the flesh is covered. Wrap again with a double layer of greaseproof and a tight layer of clingfilm. Return the salmon to the fridge for a further 24 hours.
To serve, unwrap the salmon and slice as thinly as you can at an angle. Pile onto a plate and serve with buttered brown bread, watercress and wedges of lemon for squeezing over. Yum!
Hungry for more? Take a look at all of our tasty salmon recipes here.