Dilled Gravlax with Mustard Sauce
Dilled Gravlax with Mustard Sauce is super easy to prepare, but your friends will think you slaved for hours! Served on party rye with either the homemade sauce or creme fraiche, it’s a gorgeous appetizer.
Bill didn’t always eat salmon, but I slowly won him over with dishes like my Maple Mustard Glazed Salmon. He gave this traditional gravlax recipe rave reviews! Baby steps.
Dilled Gravlax with Mustard Sauce
Oh, my. Dorie hit a home run with her Dilled Gravlax recipe. I’ve made gravlax before which involves a specific process of curing a piece of salmon with salt, sugar and spices, and it was wonderful.
But it bordered on being too salty. As always, Dorie shared a perfect recipe with a shorter curing time and a more moderate amount of seasonings.
Cured Salmon You Can Make at Home
I made this dilled gravlax to serve at a neighborhood cookie exchange I hosted. It takes a total of 48-72 hours to cure, so plan accordingly. You’ll also need to make sure you have white peppercorns and whole coriander seed on hand. Thanks to Dorie, these are now staples in my kitchen.
What is Gravlax?
Gravlax, lox and smoked salmon often get mistaken for one and other, though they’re each prepared differently. Gravlax is a Scandinavian recipe for curing salmon using salt, sugar and loads of dill. Lox is similar, but it’s cured in a salty brine. Neither gravlax nor lox is ever cooked. Smoked Salmon can be cooked as there are hot smoked (which results in a firm flaky fish) and cold smoked (which has a texture more like lox and gravlax) versions.
A Beautiful, Traditional Gravlax Recipe
My friends were thrilled that this cured salmon recipe was in Dorie Greenspan’s Around My French Table as I have convinced many of them to buy the cookbook. Then Bill spied a few of the leftovers in the fridge and sampled one of the slices on party rye slices.
He immediately declared that this cured salmon would be his breakfast the next day…on baguette slices. First chopped liver and now gravlax? It actually appears that he likes more than cherry Koolaid and rare steaks! I served my dilled gravlax slices with either Dorie’s dilled mustard sauce or dollops of creme fraiche…plus a frilly garnish of dill or chives.
Beautiful and delicious as a bit of green against the orange salmon provides a great contrast. And my furry friend, Lambeau, was happy to chow down on the leftover salmon skin…she gave it two paws up, too.
More Salmon Recipes You’ll Love:
- Soy Ginger Salmon Marinade from Mama Loves Food
- Easy Smoked Salmon Dip with Capers from That Skinny Chick Can Bake
- Orange Walnut Crusted Salmon from Aggie’s Kitchen
- Fresh Salmon Cakes with Homemade Remoulade from That Skinny Chick Can Bake
- Baked Teriyaki Salmon Recipe from Crunchy Creamy Sweet
Dilled Gravlax with Mustard Sauce
Dorie Greenspan's fabulous salmon cured in salt, sugar and dill.
Ingredients
Gravlax
- 1 teaspoon whole white peppercorns
- 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
- 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
- 2 tablespoons sea salt
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 1 1-pound salmon fillet, skin on
- 1 cup chopped fresh dill, divided
Sauce
- 2 tablespoons honey mustard
- 1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar
- 3 tablespoons grapeseed oil or canola oil
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions
For gravlax:
Heat all peppercorns and coriander seeds in small skillet over medium-high heat until spices are fragrant, shaking skillet frequently, about 2 minutes. Crush spices with mallet or bottom of heavy pan. Transfer spices to small bowl. Mix in salt and sugar.
Using small knife, poke 12 small holes through skin of salmon. Rub 1/3 of spice mixture over skin. Sprinkle 1/3 cup chopped dill in bottom of an 8x8x2-inch glass baking dish. Place salmon, skin side down, over the dill. Rub remaining spice mixture into top of salmon. Press 2/3 cup chopped dill onto the salmon.
Cover with plastic wrap, pressing directly onto fish. Place another pan over the plastic, then weight down with some canned goods. Refrigerate 2 to 3 days.
For sauce:
Whisk mustard and vinegar in small bowl to blend. Gradually whisk in oil. Stir in chopped dill and salt. Season with ground black pepper.
Scrape spices and dill off both sides of salmon (some spice mixture will remain). Thinly slice salmon diagonally at 45-degree angle from top of fillet toward skin.
Top toasts with salmon slices, sauce, and dill sprigs.
Notes
Adapted from Dorie Greenspan.
Total time does not include 2-3 day curing time.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 403Total Fat: 31gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 25gCholesterol: 74mgSodium: 3414mgCarbohydrates: 5gFiber: 1gSugar: 3gProtein: 25g
36 Comments on “Dilled Gravlax with Mustard Sauce”
This made a perfect fancy yet simple dish for brunch. Everyone thought it was amazing!
Fun when you make something that’s such a hit! Your dish looks lovely. I finally got to this, and I think it’s a mixed review – the salmon and gravlox lovers loved it! The rest were just as happy having a bit more of the home made pumpernickel. 🙂 Happy New Year!
Gorgeous! I want to live in your neighborhood, you seem to have fun activities, and I could taste test all your fabulous creations.
Happy New Year!
Love that even Lambeau got some – that is one well loved (and deservedly so….) dog !! It was a great recipe and for us first time gravlax makers, a revelation. So nice to hear that Dorie did in fact have a great recipe compared to the other one you tried. No surprise here ! Happiest of New Year’s to you and yours !!
Very pretty and elegant. 🙂
This looks amazing!
So festive and delicious… I will have to get the recipe. Thank you for sharing.
I hope you had a very Merry Christmas (despite the fire truck incident) 🙂
I love salmon every which way. I made gravlax once, I believe it was from an old Silver Palate cookbook, this reminds me I’ll have to try it again!
When I was growing up we always had gravlax as an entree on Christmas Day. I don’t know why but it was the only time of year we had it. I love your presentation. I don’t know whose recipe we used but I’m sure it wasn’t Dorie’s xx
Liz, beautiful presentation, you make everything look so delicious. Happy New Year
to you and your family, and look forward to 2014 and more surprise recipes.
Another winner from Bill? Cured Salmon? What kind of witchery are you now practicing? lol. It was only a matter of time I suppose. I just loved how so many of us found this to be a success! What a good way to sign off of 2013 and begin 2014, don’t ya think? Its so fun cooking with you and I am really looking forward to our 2014 together.
I saw some other gravlax recipes on line and they used a ton of salt. I’m glad that my first time was with such a simple and not over salty recipe. Yours looks divine. Happy New Year my dare, it has been wonderful exchanging comments with you through out the year.
Dropping by to wish you a Merry X’mas & Happy Holidays! It’s really nice to be greeted by this refreshing appetizer. xoxo
How fancy is that! Super!
I knew we wouldn’t enjoy this so I didn’t make it but as I’ve read yours and other posts I want to make it! I am going to poll friends and family until I find a group that will enjoy gravlax! Bill has become quite the culinary adventurer hasn’t he? I hope 2014 is exactly what you want it to be Liz!
I adore fish in most every form from raw, smoked, steamed and cured and this looks fabulous! Really a great appetizer but a meal in itself. I love gravlax and that mustard sauce sounds great. I really should be owning this book.
This was a first for me and it seems that Dorie’s was the perfect recipe to start with. I was worried that since I left mine in the fridge longer than recommended that it would be too salty. But it was delicious! Happy to hear that yours was a hit as well.