Do not forget to prepare your ‘Gravlax’ for the festive season!!!!

Gravlax is a classic dish from Scandinavia. It is a very easy dish to prepare and once you have tried this recipe, you will be doing it again and again.Plan in advance, as the salmon has to cure in the fridge for about 36 hours.

I love to prepare it during the Christmas season, for those times you have unexpected friends and family dropping in. It keeps, once cured, for at least one week in the fridge.

• for 6-8 people you will need

• one whole side of fresh salmon weighing about 1 kg

• with some tweezers, remove the long bones that run down the middle of the fillet
• for every kg of salmon, mix
• 2 tablespoons of sugar
• 4 table spoons of salt
• a bunch of chopped , fresh dill
• spread about half the mixture on a large piece of alu foil
• lay the salmon on top and cover it with the rest of the mixture

• wrap the salmon tightly with the silver paper

• tie it with a string
• put the wrapped salmon on a tray, put some weight on it ( 2 tins of pelati)
• leave it in the fridge for 36 hours, turning it every 8 hours or so

• remove the salt, sugar and dill and pat the salmon dry with paper towels
• slice it diagonally, starting by the tail end
• arrange the slices on a serving dish

• make the sauce:
• half a cup Swedish Slott mustard or French mustard if you can not find it
• 2 tablespoons of sugar
• 2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar
• 150 ml sunflower oil
• you can spread some of the mustard over the fish or serve it separately
• decorate with some fresh dill