Dill and Beet-Cured Gravlax

Name: Dill and Beet-Cured Gravlax
Prep time: 20 min
Total time: 20 min
Cuisine: Scandinavian
Ingredients: 2 lb (900 g) wild sockeye or coho salmon fillet, skin on, pin bones removed; 1/4 cup (60 g) coarse kosher salt; 1/4 cup (55 g) packed brown sugar; 2 medium beets, peeled and coarsely grated (about 1 cup / 150 g); 1 tbsp prepared horseradish; 1 large bunch fresh dill, roughly chopped; 1 tsp cracked black pepper; To serve; Bagels or rye bread (such as Vollkornbrot or Irish soda bread); Cream cheese; Thinly sliced red onion; Sliced cucumber and radish; Capers; Fresh dill sprigs

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This beet-cured gravlax is made with horseradish and dill to give the salmon a stunning hue that is a perfect transition food with the root vegetables of winter and into the bright colors of spring.

I’ve been in a bit of a cooking rut as of late. Perhaps it’s just a blah time of year, winter and all. The selection at the few farmers’ markets operating this time of year is, not surprisingly, relatively sparse (at least here in Philly) with the exception of root vegetables and hearty kale, which always seem to be available.

So roots it shall be. Beetroot to be exact.

As anyone who’s handled beets knows, they stain your hands bright red, along with your countertops, cutting boards, and anything their vibrant juice comes into contact with (thanks to the reddish-violet betacyanin betalain pigment). When it comes to the orange-red hue of (wild sockeye or coho) salmon, the pigment in beets transforms it into a deep reddish-purple color. It gives the salmon a really interesting look, don’t you think?

Gravlax or gravadlax has Scandinavian roots (grav meaning trench and lax meaning salmon) in Swedish for the practice of burying salmon in salt in a hole in the ground. Growing up in a Jewish-American household in Queens, NY, I consumed my fair share of lox and bagels. This quintessential and beloved combination originated in a NYC Jewish deli in the 1920s and has been a perfect pairing ever since.

The process of making gravlax is quite easy and costs a fraction of the price you would pay for it otherwise. The salmon is cured in salt, sugar, fresh, dill, spices if you like (such as peppercorn, dill seed, coriander seed, caraway seed, fennel seed, juniper berries, etc.), and, in this case, grated beetroot. The sugar and salt draw out moisture from the salmon, which in turn prevents spoilage from bacteria. The hardest part is figuring out the salt to sugar ratio. This is more a matter of preference than anything else. I went with equal parts salt and brown sugar, but you may want to play around with the ratio depending on your palate.

From there it’s just a matter of burying the salmon in the curing mixture, wrapping it in plastic, weighting it down, and refrigerating it for 2 to 3 days until cured (the longer the salmon cures, the saltier and firmer the texture). I’d check after 2 days and see how it’s doing (I let my salmon cure for 2 1/2 days).

Voila, you have gravlax.

Rub off the cure, grab a sharp knife, slice the salmon very thinly on a bias. Spread some cream cheese on a bagel or rye bread (I like Vollkornbrot) or Irish Soda Bread, pile high with your beet- cured gravlax, perhaps a few slices of onion, cucumber, radish, a few sprigs of dill, and a handful of capers. Nosh and enjoy.

All that’s missing is another NYC classic, the egg cream.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I prevent beet juice from staining my hands while preparing the gravlax?

To avoid staining your hands, wear disposable gloves while handling the beets, or rub your hands with lemon juice immediately after to help lift the stains.