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5 from 2 votes

Citrus Dill Gravlax

Prep Time25 minutes
Chill in Refrigerator3 days
Total Time3 days 25 minutes
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: American, jewish
Keyword: Cured Salmon, Dill, gravlax, Lemon and Grapefruit zest
Servings: 15 people
Author: GFchow @ gfchow.com

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

There are many instructional YouTube videos on how to slice cured salmon.
I used a regular thin, sharp, long knife for many years before buying a special salmon knife that has a flexible and straight blade. The edge has hollowed out grooves on the side of the blade, which allows for thin, even slices without tearing or shredding the fish. If you like this recipe and make it often, I highly recommend splurging on this knife. It's available at Amazon, Mercer Culinary Millennia Granton Edge Slicer.
Many people do not like to eat the brown, oily part of the gravlax.  As you are slicing, you can easily cut out the brown.
Toast up your favorite gluten free bagels or bread.  If you're not gluten free, serve with black bread and/or bagels.