Gravlax And Cucumber Crostini Recipes

GRAVADLAX

Steps:

• Pat the salmon dry with kitchen paper and run your hands over the flesh to see if there are any stray small bones - if there are, use a pair of tweezers to pull them out. Set the salmon fillets aside.
• Tip the salt, sugar, peppercorns, lemon zest, juniper and dill into a food processor and blitz until you have a bright green, wet salt mixture or 'cure'. Unravel some cling film but keep it attached to the roll. Lay the first fillet of salmon skin-side down and then pack the cure over the flesh. Drizzle with gin, if using and top with the 2nd fillet, flesh-side down. Roll the sandwiched fillets tightly in cling film to create a package.
• Place the fish in a shallow baking dish or shallow-sided tray and lay another tray on top. Weigh the tray down with a couple of tins or bottles and place in the fridge for at least 48 hrs or up to 4 days, turning the fish over every 12 hours or so. The longer you leave it, the more cured it will become.
• To make the sauce, tip all the sauce ingredients into a blender. Blitz until you have a thickened dressing.
• To serve, unwrap the fish and brush off the marinade with kitchen paper. Rinse it if you like. You can slice the fish classically into long thin slices, leaving the skin behind, or remove the skin it and slice it straight down. Serve the sliced fish on a large platter or individual plates with pumpernickel bread, dill and mustard sauce.

GRAVADLAX

Steps:

• Peel and trim the beets and place in a food processor with the salt, sugar, vodka and dill.
• Finely grate in the lemon zest, add the horseradish, finely grating it if fresh, then blitz until combined.
• Rub a little mixture on to the salmon skin, then place the salmon on a large tray, skin side down, and pat the remaining mixture all over it so that the flesh is completely covered.
• Cover the tray tightly with clingfilm. Pop a weight on top to help pack everything down evenly, then put the whole thing into the fridge for 36 hours. Please use your instincts here - if you have a particularly chunky side of salmon you may want to leave it for up to 48 hours to allow for proper penetration.
• Once cured, unwrap the fish, then, holding the fillet in place, pour the juices down the sink and rub away all the salty topping (it's messy, so you might want to wear gloves).
• Pat the fillet dry with kitchen paper, then tightly wrap in clingfilm (sometimes I like to cover the salmon with freshly picked dill before wrapping, for bonus flavour). Put back into the fridge until needed, where it will keep happily for up to 2 weeks.
• To serve, use a long sharp knife to slice the salmon thinly at an angle and, as the knife touches the skin each time, kink it off, lifting away the salmon.
• Arrange the slices on a board or platter as you go. Delicious with a simple salad and good wholemeal sourdough, as part of a seafood platter, served up at a party or even as part of a festive brekkie spread.

GOAT CHEESE AND CUCUMBER CROSTINI RECIPE BY TASTY

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425˚F (220˚C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Arrange the bread in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. Brush each piece of bread with olive oil. Lightly sprinkle with salt. Bake for 12-14 minutes, until the edges are light golden brown. Let cool.
• Spread 1 tablespoon of goat cheese over each crostini. Top with 1 cucumber ribbon and 1 sprig of dill.
• Enjoy!

SIMPLE, HOMEMADE SALMON GRAVLAX

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• Rinse the salmon fillets and pat them dry thoroughly.
• Use tweezers or pliers to pull out any pin bones, if necessary.
• Drizzle the aquavit or vodka evenly over the flesh of each fillet.
• In a small bowl, combine the salt, sugar, and pepper.
• Divide the mixture into 3 even piles within the bowl.
• Divide one of the thirds of curing mix in half and place on a rimmed baking sheet or baking pan in the shape of one of the fillets.
• Lay a fillet skin-side down on the mixture. Spread a third of the curing mixture on the flesh of that fillet.
• Spread the remaining third of the curing mixture on the flesh side of the other fillet. Sprinkle the dill, if using, over both fillets.
• Lay the second fillet flesh to flesh on the first fillet. Sprinkle the remaining curing mixture over the skin of the top fillet.
• Cover the fillets and baking sheet or pan with foil or plastic wrap. Place a cutting board or second baking sheet on top of the covered fish and top it with something heavy (cans, pots, or pans) to weigh the fish down. Place it all in the fridge and let chill for about 12 hours or overnight.
• Remove from the fridge, unwrap, and discard the accumulated liquid in the pan. Turn over the fillets so the bottom one is on top.
• Cover the pan, weigh down the fish again, and return to the refrigerator. Let chill another 12 hours.
• The fish is now cured and ready to serve, but it will continue to benefit from another 12 to 24 hours of being weighed down and chilled, so feel free to repeat these steps a second time around.
• When ready to eat, pat dry, and thinly slice the gravlax against the grain using a very sharp knife.
• Serve and enjoy.

CREAMY CUCUMBER WITH GRAVADLAX

Steps:

• Peel alternate strips of skin off the cucumber and halve lengthways. Scoop away the seeds with a teaspoon, slice the cucumber on an angle, then place in a colander or sieve set above a bowl. Remove the outer layer of fennel and quarter the bulb. Cut away the core, then slice the fennel as finely as possible. Tip the fennel in with the cucumber, season generously with salt, then leave to macerate for 10 mins.
• When the vegetables have been salted, taste a piece of cucumber. If it's too salty, give them a rinse. But if it's fine, then just squeeze them gently. In a separate bowl, stir together the cream, vinegar, mustard and dill, and season with a grind of black pepper. Toss the vegetables into the creamy dressing and serve with a few slices of gravadlax, a sprinkling of dill and some buttered brown bread.

GRAVLAX AND CUCUMBER CROSTINI

Steps:

• Peel cucumbers, and cut lengthwise around seeds; discard seeds. Cut cucumbers into 1-inch squares.
• Mix together mustard, mayonnaise, and chopped dill. Spread 1/2 teaspoon on each crostini. Arrange a piece of gravlax on top of each, then top with a piece of cucumber. Garnish with dill sprigs, and serve immediately.

GRAVLAX

Steps:

• Mix salt, sugar and pepper. Rub the fish with the mixture. Add dill. Wrap in foil and put in a dish. Refrigerate for 36 to 48 hours, with a light weight on top of the fish. Turn the salmon several times.
• Before serving, scrape off the dill and seasoning and cut into thin slices on the diagonal.
• Serve with Hovmastarsas, sweet dill and mustard sauce.
• Whisk together mustard, sugar and vinegar. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add the oil in a thin stream, stirring constantly. Add the chopped dill. Store in refrigerator.