If you love salmon here’s a recipe for an elegant first course or to serve as hors d’oeuvre. Originally a traditional Nordic dish, gravad lax, referred to fish that had been buried in the ground to cure. Over time the method was refined from the funky fermented gravad lax to a process using salt, sugar, fresh herbs, and a neutral spirit like Vodka to season and cure the fish producing the delicately flavored salmon that is served at a premium price in fine restaurants across Europe today. The method of making today’s gravlax is surprisingly easy; it just requires a bit of patience. As they say “patience is a virtue” and you will be rewarded. Cheers! Skål!

Cured Salmon Gravlax with Fennel-Orange Crema
Yield: 2 servings as a main course, 8 to 10 as an hors d’oeuvre

For the Gravlax:

• ½ teaspoon black peppercorns
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1 ¾ teaspoons kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon finely grated orange zest (can substitute lemon zest)
• 1 one-pound, skin-on salmon fillet
• ½ cup chopped fennel fronds, more for serving (can substitute dill)
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon
• 4 teaspoons Vodka or another neutral spirit (Gin, Aquavit, etc.)

For the Fennel-Orange Crema:

½ cup crème fraiche or sour cream
½ garlic clove (finely minced or grated and mashed to a paste with a pinch of salt)
1-2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice (start with 1 teaspoon, mix, taste, adjust to taste)
Pinch of salt (to taste)
Freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
1 tablespoon chopped fennel fronds, more for garnish
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh tarragon
¾ teaspoon finely grated orange zest
¼ teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper, more for serving
Slices of cocktail pumpernickel, for serving
Fresh lemon juice, for serving

Preparation:

1. To make the cured salmon: using a mortar and pestle or the side of a knife, lightly crush the peppercorns. Transfer to a small bowl and stir in the sugar, salt, and orange zest. Rub mixture over salmon flesh; press the fennel fronds and tarragon all over flesh and sprinkle with the spirit. Put the seasoned salmon in a zip-lock plastic bag with the air squeezed out, or wrap well with plastic wrap and place in a skillet or on a sheet pan. Place a plate or other skillet atop the salmon packet and weight-down with something like a 48 ounce can of tomatoes or heavy skillet. Refrigerate for 1 to 3 days. Turn the fish after 12 hours and taste after 24 hours. A moderate cure is achieved after about 36 hours..

2. To make the fennel-orange crema: using a mortar and pestle or the side of a knife, or a microplane mash the garlic with a pinch of salt until it forms a paste. Transfer to a bowl and add the crème fraiche or sour cream, 1 tablespoon of fennel fronds, tarragon, orange zest, lemon juice, and pepper. Stir to combine.

3. To serve: wipe off most of the marinade from the salmon and slice off the skin. Thinly slice the fish across the grain at an acute angle. Spread the fennel-orange crema mixture on slices of pumpernickel, pile the sliced salmon on the pumpernickel, and sprinkle with salt, more black pepper, and a little lemon juice. Top with fennel fronds and diced Pickled Avocado.

Aadapted from: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1014171-small-batch-gravlax-with-fennel-orange-butter
https://www.bonappetit.com/test-kitchen/ingredients/article/deli-salmon-explained

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