In "Historically yours", journalist Olivier Poels tells the story of the origin of the gravlax technique, which allows fish to be better preserved thanks in particular to the salt which will absorb the water on its surface.
And gives us some tips to prepare a good salmon thanks to it.
This way of preparing salmon is perfect for a small aperitif or a small starter, and has the advantage of being much easier than preparing smoked salmon.
On the other hand, it takes 48 hours, so you should not be in a hurry.
Gravlax comes from Swedish which means buried salmon, and this technique finds its origins in the Middle Ages.
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At that time, we looked for ways to be able to preserve the meat and fish that we caught because we did not have a fridge.
One technique was smoking, and the other was to salt the fish fillets before burying them, which allowed them to be kept for several weeks or even months.
And it is from this last process that we were inspired for this recipe.
A mixture of salt and sugar
What is the principle ?
Everything is based on a mixture of salt and sugar.
The salt absorbs water on the surface of the fish, which will block the action of the enzymes responsible for the putrefaction, and allow the fish to keep for much longer.
The sugar will develop the aromas.
The gravlax salmon recipe
Ingredients :
- 500 gr of salmon or trout fillet
- 100 gr of sugar
- 100 gr of coarse salt
- 1 bunch of dill
- Mix of crushed black pepper, coriander grains, red berries
The steps of the recipe:
1.
In the bottom of a dish, spread the salt, sugar mixture with dill peels and spices.
2.
Place the fillet flesh side up, cover with cling film.
3.
Place another dish and weights on top to crush the salmon and allow the flesh to come into contact with the salt-sugar mixture.
4.
Refrigerate 36-48 hours
5.
Pass the net under clean water and pat dry.
6.
Sprinkle with remaining spice and dill mixture.