by Pia Rowe

Serve this with a cold mustard sauce.

Ingredients:

500g fresh salmon fillet, skin on, in two pieces
3 tbls sea salt
2 tsp white pepper
1 tsp sugar
1 big bunch dill
(optional: 2-4 tbls cognac)

Method:

Rinse the salmon fillets under cold running water and pat dry.

Feel along the length of the fish fillets and pin-bone with tweezers if need be.

If using cognac, rub it on the fillets first. There is no need to get pretentious here, your piece of salmon does not mind if you don’t crack open a bottle of XO – any brandy is just fine.
Rub the spices on the fillets, making sure you add a bit more on the thicker bits.

Put the bunch of dill on top of the fillet, and place the other fillet on top so that the skin sides are out.

Wrap the fish in cling wrap, then a few pieces of newspaper, and finally a plastic bag. Put the parcel on a plate, add a few heavy books on top and put in the fridge to cure for 24-48 hours.

Flip the parcel around a few times during the process to ensure even curing.

Once you’re ready to eat, wipe off the spices and dill with a paper towel and slice very thinly – filleting knife really is the best option but if you don’t have one, just use the sharpest one you have.

If you want to prepare this in advance, place it in the freezer immediately after adding the spices, sugar and dill. Take it out of the freezer the day before you want to eat it and let thaw for 24 hrs in the fridge. The fish will be cured as it defrosts.

If kept cold the whole time, your cured salmon will stay good for 3-5 days, depending on the temperature of your fridge. However, this means that you only ever take out as much as you’re going to serve. If you’re serving it as part of a smorgasbord, it must be consumed straight away.

Serve with home made Gravlax Mustard sauce.