Salmon questions?

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kitkat_fizzy

Assistant Cook
Joined
Oct 9, 2015
Messages
1
Location
Alexandria
Hey! I am in the process of making gravlax and I'm unsure about a couple things. First off my filet is a bit uneven. Its 1 inch at its thickest and about 1/2 to 3/4 inch at its thinnest. will it cure unevenly? I put equal parts sea salt to sugar and some dried dill on it and set it in the fridge with a 20 pound weight. Will this damage the filet? And finally Is 24 hours enough to fully cure this fish? Any help is appreciated. Thanks!
 
Turn the fillet over now and put the weight back on then keep it in the fridge for another 24 hours.
The most important thing is what type of salmon are you using? Atlantic salmon is considered the best species for making gravlax.
 
Getting a wild caught Atlantic salmon is virtually impossible for the majority of people. Farm raised would be ok but but coho or sockeye would be best and what I use. Of couse, living in the NW, I am spoiled with all the fresh salmon available. I've made gravlox several times and coho was perfect.

To answer your question, I don't think thickness matters as long as you keep turning the fish and keep the weight even.
 
I always brine it for several days. I also always use a bit of alcohol (brandy, akvavit, or vodka). Some people use lemon juice instead of alcohol. Yes, turn it over about every 12 hours and the differing thickness shouldn't be a problem.
 
Getting a wild caught Atlantic salmon is virtually impossible for the majority of people. Farm raised would be ok but but coho or sockeye would be best and what I use. Of couse, living in the NW, I am spoiled with all the fresh salmon available. I've made gravlox several times and coho was perfect.

To answer your question, I don't think thickness matters as long as you keep turning the fish and keep the weight even.
As a former commercial fisherman here on BC's West Coast I can attest to how good sockeye and coho are in a gravlax. I've used farm raised Atlantic salmon and IMO it's the best for texture. Especially with the larger fillets.
I find coho to be a bit too delicate and the fillets a bit too small for gravlax but tasty.
 
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