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Italian
Today we arrive in Scandinavia, to taste a very original way to preparing salmon. Here is the Gravlax Recipe with Beetroot. An original recipe that has roots in the ancient Nordic cuisine. A perfect original dish for a buffet or such as appetizer. Its particular taste is mainly due to gin and dill. Excellent with toasted bread, served with sour cream and pickled vegetables that help cleanse the palate.
The Story Of Gravlax Salmon
Gravlax is a typical preparation of northern Europe (Sweden, Norway, Finland, Ireland and Iceland). This preparation, in ancient times was a way to preserve the salmon on the fishing boats, where the Scandinavian fishermen covered the fish with sugar, salt and dill leaving it to ferment. In the past gravlax had a very pungent taste and smell. Today it’s prepared in the fridge, making it marinate and not ferment. So the pungent smell and taste were lost, making the preparation much more delicate on the palate and on the nose.
After the Second World War this recipe arrived in America, thanks to Europeans and especially to Jewish migrants. In fact in Jewish cuisine there is an identical preparation called Lox. Gravlax or Lox is practically consumed as the most famous smoked salmon. It’s eat for breakfast or at any other time of the day. It’s usually accompanied with Bagels or schones along with a sour cream sauce and also with some pickled cucumber.
Beetroot Salmon Gravlax Recipe
Today the recipe has been made even more popular, thanks to chefs like Gordon Ramsey or Jamie Oliver. The recipe has been revisited by adding beetroot, which during marinating, gives the salmon fillet, that magnicent purple color. In fact, the main recipe doesn’t include the use of red beetroot. The coloration in the case of my gravlax was total.
This was mainly due to the fact that my fillet was thin, and the marinating time made it completely purple. With a medium to large fillet (especially in the thickness), you will get slices with a beautiful external shade starting from purple to natural salmon pink. It’s an alternative to the more classic smoked salmon, in this case it will have a pleasant citrus and dill scent!
But now let’s go to prepare the Gravlax Recipe with Beetroot!
Gravlax Recipe With Beetroot
Ingredients
- 1 kg Salmon Fillet without skin
- 120 g Salt
- 120 g Caster Sugar
- 400 g Beets
- 110 g Dill
- 1 Lemon Peel
- 1 Orange Peel
- 1 tsp Black Pepper in grains
- 100 ml Gin or vodka
- 6 Juniper Berries
To Serve
- to taste Creme Fraiche
- ½ Lime Juice
- 2 tsp Dill
Instructions
- Coarsely chop the fresh dill, and grate the lemon and orange peel.1 Lemon Peel, 1 Orange Peel, 110 g Dill
- Blend the beets with a little dill. juniper berries and black pepper.400 g Beets, 110 g Dill, 6 Juniper Berries, 1 tsp Black Pepper
- In a bowl, mix the dill, lemon and orange peel, salt, sugar, beets, gin.120 g Salt, 100 ml Gin, 120 g Caster Sugar
- Line a pan with plastic wrap, put the salmon in it and cover it with the marinade. Cover with plastic wrap, and marinate in the fridge for 24 hours.1 kg Salmon Fillet
- Take care to remove the liquids every 3 hours. After about 12 hours, turn the bed.
- Once ready, carefully remove the marinade and then rinse it under cold water quickly, to remove excess salt residues.
- Prepare the creme fraiche, with dill, lime, pepper and salt. Accompany it with schones or with bagels.1 tsp Black Pepper, to taste Creme Fraiche, ½ Lime Juice, 2 tsp Dill
Nutrition
The nutrition information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for the advice of a professional nutritionist.