Citrus Dill Gravlax
Gravlax is always a party, holiday and brunch favorite. Citrus Dill Gravlax is one of the easiest gravlax recipes to make because unlike other gravlax recipes, this one is left undisturbed in the refrigerator for 3 days…no turning every 12 hours! Love it!! Plus, gravlax can be sliced a day ahead and arranged on a platter a few hours in advance of serving to further simplify your pre-party, holiday or brunch to-do list.
Jump to RecipeCitrus Dill Prep for the Gravlax
Rinse dill with cold water and thoroughly dry. Cut off stems and discard.
Place dill leaves in the food processor and pulse until roughly chopped.
Zest the lemons and grapefruits. Orange zest can be substituted for the grapefruit zest.
Place zest in the food processor.
Add the sugar, salt and peppercorns.
Pulse until combined.
Citrus Dill Gravlax Assembly for Refrigeration
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place 1/3 of dill mixture in the center of the parchment paper.
Put the salmon, skin-side down on top of the dill mixture and coat with the remainder, using your hands or a spatula to press mixture down.
Fold up parchment paper around the fish. Then cover with another sheet of parchment. Place in a gallon-size zip-loc bag as I have done in the photo above or wrap securely with plastic. Place salmon on a large rimmed baking sheet and then put another large rimmed baking sheet on top of the salmon. Set heavy cans or a heavy pot on the top baking sheet to weigh down. Chill 3 days, undisturbed.
Citrus Dill Gravlax after 3-Days in the Refrigerator
Remove salmon from the wrapping and using a damp paper or kitchen towel wipe off most of the dill mixture.
Now comes the hard part…slicing the salmon into paper-thin slices. Make sure fish is cold before slicing. Place fish on a large cutting board and slice with a long, thin, sharp knife at a 45 degree angle. The first few slices may not be perfect but hang in there and don’t get frustrated.
Arrange salmon on a platter and serve with your favorite fixings and spreads. My family and I love to pair the gravlax with mustard sauce (recipe below) and fish eggs (roe).
Citrus Dill Gravlax
Ingredients
Citrus Dill Gravlax
- 1 bunch dill plus sprigs for serving
- 2 grapefruits or oranges zested
- 3 lemons zested
- 1/4 cup kosher salt Morton’s
- 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 Tbsp. cracked black peppercorns
- 1 3- lb. boneless side of salmon, skin on
Mustard Sauce
- 1/4 Cup Dijon Mustard
- 1 Tsp Ground Dry Mustard
- 3 Tbsps Sugar
- 2 Tbsps White Wine Vinegar
- 1/3 Cup Olive Oil extra virgin
- 3 Tbsps chopped Dill optional
Instructions
Citrus Dill Gravlax
- Place dill leaves in the food processor and pulse until roughly chopped..
- Zest grapefruits (or oranges) and lemons. Save fruit for another use.
- Add citrus zest to the food processor along with the salt, brown sugar, and peppercorns and process until combined.
- Place parchment paper on a large rimmed baking sheet and put one-third of dill cure lengthwise down the center of parchment.
- Lay salmon skin-side down (do not rinse salmon) on top of dill cure and pack remaining cure in an even layer onto flesh side.
- Fold parchment up and over fish and cover with another sheet of parchment paper. Wrap tightly with plastic or put in a gallon-size zip-loc bag. Place another large rimmed baking sheet on top of fish and set heavy cans or a heavy pot on the baking sheet to weigh down.
- Chill 3 days, undisturbed.
- Unpack fish and wipe off cure with a damp paper or kitchen towel (do not rinse).
- Make sure fish is cold before slicing. Place fish on a large cutting board and slice very thinly with a long, thin, sharp knife. (See Notes below).
- Slice at a 45-degree angle to get wide ribbons (the first few slices won’t be perfect—keep going!). There are also many Youtube videos out there on “how to slice lox” if you need extra help.
- Arrange salmon on a platter and serve with your favorite fixings and spreads.
Mustard Sauce
- Combine first 5 ingredients in a medium size bowl.
- Slowly whisk in the oil.
- Stir in dill, if using.
Notes
Gravlax recipe is from Epicurious.com. Click here for gravlax recipe. Mustard Sauce is from FoodNetwork.com. Click here for mustard recipe.
If you like this recipe, you may also like these GFchow recipes. Pan Seared Tuna with Avocado and Soy-Lime Dressing, Gluten Free Bagels and Lox, and Crispy Fried Eggs.
Gluten Free Disclaimer
The recipes you find here are considered by me to be gluten free. However, it is up to you to make sure the ingredients you use are gluten free. Whenever possible, I will list specific brands of ingredients that I use, but always be sure to check the labels yourself to verify the item is gluten free.
This recipe seems intimidating but the set up is so easy. You just blend up the ingredients and leave it alone for 3 days! The hardest part was slicing it but it becomes easier as your doing it and the final product is very impressive. I’ve also found that I prefer looking for salmon that is less fatty when making this dish.
WOW. Such a unique and flavorful dish!
Thanks so much Ava!