The Swedish mother of one my dearest friends taught me this recipe for my friend’s bridal shower. Like cold-smoked salmon, gravlax is cured not cooked and thus retains its velvety texture. However, using sugar and salt instead of smoke creates a more delicate flavor that lets the fish shine through. The slightly sweet dill mustard sauce has just a little bit of bite to balance the rich salmon. Gravlax can be served any way you would serve smoked salmon. The traditional Scandinavian way is over a bit of rye crispbread spread with cream cheese. Accompaniments such as capers, thinly sliced red onion, and fresh dill are all very nice. Some Swedes wouldn’t dream of having gravlax without ensuring there was some free-flowing aquavit nearby. However, if you’re like me you’ll find a glass of champagne, while not traditional tastes fine indeed!

Ingredients

Gravlax

Two 1 pound pin-boned salmon fillets cut from the thickest cross section of the fish