Swedish Gravlax - cold cured kokanee salmon

[kokanee64]

I suspect that like me, many readers are visiting the Kokanee Fishing Forum because you can’t wait to get back on the water and are settling for reading rather than fishing. This recipe for Lox may give you something to plan for next summer. During fishing season we smoke and give away a lot of fish but our possession limit doesn't allow freezing enough fish for smoker loads, so we freeze a few fillets for making lox during the winter months. Unlike smoking, making cold cured lox doesn’t require special equipment. Plus it is easy to make and delicious. This batch started with 6 larger fillets which we vacuum sealed and froze last summer. This Swedish recipe for cold cured Gravlax is for 2 fillets, so we tripled it for this batch.

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon whole white peppercorn
• 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorn
• 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
• 2 tablespoons sea salt
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 2 half pound kokanee fillets
• 1 cup chopped fresh dill

Heat all peppercorns and coriander seeds in small skillet over medium-high heat until spices are fragrant and seeds jump slightly, shaking skillet frequently, about 2 minutes. Crush spices in mortar and pestle or place in a sealed envelope within a second sealed envelope and crush with a mallet or hammer. Transfer spices to small bowl. Mix in salt and sugar. Divide seasoning mixture, allocating one-half for each fillet. Divide dill, allocating one-half for each fillet.

For each fillet, poke 12 -18 small holes through the skin of a fillet. Rub 1/3 of the divided spice mixture over skin side. Sprinkle 1/3 of the divided dill on plastic wrap and place salmon skin side down on the dill. Rub 2/3 of the divided spice mixture into top of salmon. Press 2/3 of divided dill onto the salmon. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing directly into fish. Fold the wrap over the shoulder of the fillet, sealing the top. Leave the tail end of the wrap open so water can drain out. Repeat for the next fillet. Place fillets in a non-reactive baking dish and cover with a plate or cutting board. A second layer of fillets can be placed on the cutting board and covered with yet another plate or cutting board. Place something quite heavy to press down the fillets, such as bricks, rocks, cans or bags of Morton Sugar Cure (we use for smoking salmon). Place in refrigerator for 2 -3 days (we do 3 days), with baking dish elevated on shoulder end to facilitate draining. Drain water periodically, beginning a few hours after refrigerating.

Scrape spices and dill off both sides of salmon; some of the spice mixture will remain. Using a sharp, long-bladed knife, thinly slice salmon diagonally at 45 degree angle from top of fillet toward skin. We usually serve on a cracker with cream cheese but it is also delicious on a bagel/cream cheese or in an omelet. With multiple fillets as shown in the photos, we vacuum seal individual lox fillets and freeze until ready to eat. The shelf life once thawed is only about 1 week. This recipe was recommended by a good friend from Sweden who learned the recipe from her mother. I am having trouble posting a link but if you google search for "My Jewish Learning.com" you'll find a history of lox and alternative recipes. Enjoy.