No Cook, No Fail Salmon

For our recent Valentine's Day brunch, I decided to take a crack at the time-tested Scandinavian salmon recipe known as gravlax. In the olden days of King Gustaf I, when horned hats reigned and pillaging was a profession, whole fish were cured with salt and sugar, smothered in dill then buried in the ground for a long period of time. With no land, backyard, or spare fiord to speak of, I used the fire escape (aka - 'New England fridge') to keep the fish at a nice, cold temperature throughout the process. The result was a silky and delicate salmon so flavorful that a number people wanted me to post recipe.....so, here we go.

This is a recipe that takes multiple days to complete, so read it through and plan accordingly. It will feed a large number of portions too, so invite a horde of people to share with.

Here's what else you'll need to pull it off:

2 1/2 lbs Fresh Skin-on Salmon - cut into 2 equal sized portions
5 Tablespoons Kosher Salt
4 Tablespoons Sugar
2 Tablespoons Whole Allspice
2 Tablespoons Black Peppercorns
2 Tablespoons Ouzo (other clear liquors such as vodka, aquavit, or gin would work too)
Zest of One Lemon
Large Bunch of Dill



Pat the salmon pieces dry and lay out on plastic wrap. In a small bowl, or using a mortar and pestle, add the allspice and black peppercorns together and add elbow grease. No need to turn them into a fine dust, just make sure everything is nicely crushed. Add the sugar and salt and combine. Evenly spread the mixture over the salmon.


Sprinkle one tablespoon of Ouzo to either side to moisten. Roughly chop the dill and combine with the lemon zest. Cover the salmon. What you have now should resemble a salmon and dill sandwich. Next step - put the sandwich together.




Trying your best to keep all of the "stuffing" inside, wrap tightly with layers of plastic wrap and place in a non-reactive dish (I used an oval gratin dish). Add a weight on top to press the salmon. I used a cast iron pan, but a large foil covered brick, plate with a dumbbell, etc. would work just fine.

Every 12 hours, unwrap salmon, baste with the juices, flip over and re-wrap. Repeat this step every 12 hours for 36-48 hours. Don't forget to weigh it down every time.


Unwrap and wipe off the remaining dill, pepper, etc. Rinse off and pat dry. At this point, taste a slice of the salmon. It should taste very salty and appear much firmer that when you started. In order to mellow that salty kick, place the salmon in a dish with cold water so both pieces are covered. For the next 4 hours, soak the salmon changing the water every 60-90 minutes. After patting dry again, wrap tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate.

After a night in the fridge (or if you are inpatient, right away), you are set to serve. Slice very thinly on the diagonal. For traditional accompaniments, try with some brown bread, pickled shallots and a drop of mustard.

Leftovers can be stored in a sealed plastic bag for about a week. Enjoy!