How to Cure Salmon at Home and Make Gravlax

Byamazingfoodstv


Unlike its cousins smoked salmon, lox, and nova, which are all usually brined and then smoked, gravlax relies on a one-step process.

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43 Comments

  1. How do you source the salmon? Would any grocery store salmon do or do you need sushi grade to ensure its safe to eat raw. Is that what the brandy is for? Is there a non alcoholic liquid to use instead?

  5. Been making gravlax my whole life and i use maybe like a tablespoon of sugar. Seems kinda weird to me to add this much sugar, since its supposed to be salt cured. I just use coarse sea salt, a bit of sugar (I'd 1 teaspoon for that amount), dill and some pepper. Put the mix straight on the fish and gently rub it, just so it attaches. Make sure the fish is dry before add the mix. Leave it for a few days and its done. Also you definitely don't need that much of the salt mix, seems like a waste since 20% of that amount is plenty.

  9. I do the same thing but with cold-ish smoke (as cold as my green egg will go, but still above technical "cold smoke" temps) it at the end. I usually skip the weights, but it looks like a good idea. We also stopped using alcohol because the kids did not like the flavor it imparts. For smoke: Cherry, Alder or Maple are great flavors. Skip the oak, hickory or mesquite here; that is entirely too much for the fish.

    Alternatively, go ahead and brine it with the salt cure for half a day, then warm smoke until rare in the middle. Creamy and moist. Kids love that. I'd suggest something acidic on the side to cut through the richness, but YMMV. We like cucumber salad in rice wine vinegar.

  18. Used to make this in a restaurant up in Harlem where I was the chef.

    The owner was mad at me for "wasting" good salmon.

    One day he came in with some bagels, I took a bagel, added some seasoned cream cheese…….he came back for seconds.🥯🥯

  22. Please develop a recipe for the wet brined salty belly lox that they sell at Russ & Daughters or Zabar's in New York.

    Every recipe online for "belly lox" is dry cure like this one but the salty lox is silky and not at all sweet, nor is it a dry firm texture. it has a moist, silky texture like salmon sashimi but with a whole lot more flavor. Because it's so salty, you cut it paper thin and eat it with a lot of cream cheese on a bagel. You don't use a lot as you would with nova.

    This is the original lox sold by Jewish immigrant vendors from pushcarts in the early 20th century. To my knowledge the only place that makes it is Acme Smoked Fish in Brooklyn, who supply R&D.

  23. I am impressed with this vid… A diet of salmon at least once a week is my thing. However, it's nice to get something diff on a theme. Also, this is a crazy request…. my father was a jeweler watchmaker and he has shown me many things about that trade that are utterly fascinating. In that respect, Julia, your diamond ring is absolutely unique and gorgeous. The setting is so unusual. – Ralph Shaw.

  28. I live in Alaska, catch my own salmon and eat it at least once a week. Two things stand out for me in this video. First, I never heard of Gravlax! I thought i knew every way to cook salmon. From salmon gravy on potatoes to raw with seal oil and soy sauce… Second, you PREFER farmed salmon?? Oh my Lord what is happening to humanity? Farmed salmon isnt really even fish in my world, it isnt even food! But I am going out now to go get a fillet of wild caught copper river sockeye, the best salmon in the world, to make some Gravlax.

  36. Bit of a fish snob here. I strongly disagree about farm raised salmon. If you buy the right species, it will have plenty of fat, a better texture & a nice natural color. Farm raised salmon can't compare to wild caught salmon. Plus, when farm raised salmon escape, they cause diseases in wild populatins. It's just not great for the wild stock.

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