Swedish Salmon Food

SALMON GRAVLAX

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine brown sugar and salt together and set aside.
• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Place salmon, flesh side up, on a grate on the prepared pan. Scatter fresh chopped dill over the top of the flesh. Sprinkle with crushed peppercorns and vodka.
• Layer salt and sugar mix, over the top of the fish.
• Refrigerate in a container in the refrigerator for 24 to 36 hours.
• Drain the liquid on the pan. Scrape off sugar, salt and dill. Rinse the fish and pat dry.
• The fish is now ready to be thinly sliced on a bias, leaving the skin behind.

SWEDISH MAPLE SALMON

Steps:

• Remove the salmon from the refrigerator and let come to room temperature.
• Cream together first five ingredients with a hand mixer (or food processor) and leave at room temperature.
• Preheat grill to medium (about 350-375 degrees).
• Season with salt and coat with olive oil. Oil the grill. Place the salmon, skin side down, on the clean, preheated grill.
• Cook the salmon for 5 minutes. As the salmon cooks it will turn from translucent orange to pink.
• Turn the salmon over and cook for another 5 minutes.
• NOTE: I cooked mine in the oven in a grill packet for 15 minutes at 350 degrees and it was perfect. I also remove the skin prior to cooking when I use an oven vs. the grill.
• Remove salmon from the grill and put on individual serving plates (skin side down. .or you can remove the skin before serving).
• Top each piece of salmon with a few dollops of the butter you made (this will melt and become your sauce) and top each with 2 T walnuts.

GRAVLAX (SWEDISH SUGAR AND SALT CURED SALMON)

Steps:

• Remove any small bones from the fillets with a pair of tweezers or needle-nosed pliers.
• Mix the sugar, salt and pepper in a bowl.
• Cover the bottom of a baking dish with 1/3 the dill and rub half of the sugar-salt mixture into the first fillet, on both sides, and lay it skin side down on top of the dill.
• Cover with 1/3 of dill.
• Prepare the other salmon fillet in the same way, and cover with the remaining fillet, skin side up, with the remaining dill on top.
• Cover in plastic wrap, place a cutting board with some heavy weights on top and marinate in the refrigerator for 24 hours.
• Remove from plastic wrap and discard accumulated juices.
• Rewrap and refrigerate another 24- 48 hours.
• Scrape off the marinade and slice paper thin.
• Serve with Mustard Dill Sauce (Recipe #68168).