Gravlax
·Tip:
Cure the salmon whole, boneless (buying a fillet is ideal, of course), but with the skin left on. Leave it in the salt-and-sugar mixture in the fridge for 48 hours. After that it should be ready, and you can slice it into very thin slices.
The spice crust
Mix the salt and sugar together. Add the pepper and roughly chopped dill. Spread half of this mixture over the bottom of a deep dish. Lay the salmon on top, skin-side down, and press down firmly. Cover the salmon with the remaining mixture and press down again.
Turn it over during curing
Cover the dish with plastic wrap and place it in the fridge for 48 hours. Turn the salmon over about four times during this period. If you leave it to cure for a day or two longer, that's fine too – just make sure it stays in the fridge the whole time.
Serve in thin slices
Wipe the cure off the salmon and slice it thinly with a very sharp knife. Serve with bread, a sauce, goat's cheese... whatever you fancy. We like to serve it with bread and a delicious homemade sauce, either mustard or dill.