Gravlax for a Crowd

Here's an easy method for wet-brining salmon fillets that ensures even, never salty curing.

YIELD 24 (Makes 1 side of cured salmon)

TIME 30 minutes, plus 12 to 18 hours chilling

Gravlax for a Crowd photo

Why This Recipe Works

Gather Your Ingredients

Key Equipment

Key Equipment - The Best Chef’s Knives for $75 or Less

Before You Begin

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If you have a juicer, you may use it to make the onion juice. Although a little more time-consuming, onion juice can also be made by grinding onions in a food processor until liquefied, about four minutes. Strain the onions through a double thickness of cheesecloth, squeezing to extract the juice. Serve sliced gravlax with lightly toasted rye bread and the related recipes (Onion Relish and Cilantro Cream).

Instructions

1.

Pour onion juice into 4-cup glass measure. Add salt and sugar; stir to dissolve. Stir in pepper and the coarsely chopped dill.

2.

Place salmon in 2-gallon zipper-lock bag. Pour in marinade, seal bag, and place on jelly roll pan (illustration 6). Marinade should barely cover fish. Place second jelly roll pan over fish and set about 7 pounds of weight (heavy cans or bricks work well) on top pan (illustration 7). Refrigerate weighted fish until very firm, 12 to 18 hours, depending on thickness of fish.

3.

Remove salmon fillet from bag and dry with paper towels. Evenly distribute the minced dill over belly side of the fillet, then press dill into flesh (illustration 8). (Gravlax can be wrapped in parchment paper then plastic wrap and refrigerated up to 1 week.)

4.

Just before serving, place fillet, belly side up, on work surface. Following illustrations 9 and 10, slice desired amount of gravlax. Rewrap and refrigerate unsliced gravlax for later use.

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