Accordingly, housewives can refer to the recipe for delicious and nutritious Gravlax salted salmon to treat their families when the weather turns cold.
It is known that Gravlax is a method to cook "cold" fish by incubating it in a mixture of salt, sugar and herbs. This technique helps the fish meat fiber become firm and flexible, the color turns bright orange-red as well as maintains natural greasyness.
To make Gravlax salmon, prepare about 500gr of fresh salmon fillets; large grain sea salt; white sugar (or brown sugar); pepper; yellow lemon peel and especially dill leaves to create the characteristic flavor of the dish.
Housewives also note that when choosing to buy salmon, they should prioritize fillets with a fresh orange or bright pink color, firm meat texture, and evenly distributed veins. It is necessary to carefully check the elasticity by gently pressing your finger on the fish meat, if the meat quickly returns to its original state and the surface is dry and does not ooze, it is fresh and standard fish.
The preliminary process requires meticulousness to ensure maximum hygiene, wash the salmon pieces with diluted salt water or ginger wine mixture to remove the fishy smell, then use paper towels to pat the entire surface thoroughly. Next, use specialized tweezers to remove all the bones along the fish's back.
The Northern European standard fish marinating recipe will be in a 1:1 ratio between salt and sugar. Mix these two ingredients well with crushed pepper, minced lemon peel and minced rice husks. In addition, housewives can add a little strong wine such as Vodka or Gin, which will help the fish meat become firmer and better disinfect.
When marinating salmon, spread a layer of food wrap with a little salt down below, place the fish piece on top (the skin covering the wrap) and cover the entire surface of the meat with the remaining seasoning.
Cover the fish piece tightly to prevent air from leaking in, then take a heavy object (surrounding plate or wooden plank) and press it on top of the salmon piece during incubation in the refrigerator for 24 to 48 hours. After each 12 hours, remove the water and flip the fish surface to let the spices absorb evenly.
Take out the fish, wash the sugar salt layer under the cold water hose and pat dry immediately afterwards. Standard finished products will have a shinier surface, darker color and flexibility when sliced thinly.
Gravlax salted salmon can be enjoyed with crispy toast, cream cheese and fresh lemon slices. The harmonious salty and sweet taste combined with herbal aromas will make family meals more novel and attractive.
