Gravlax

Name: Gravlax
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 5 min
Yield: 8
Ingredients: 2 lb center-cut salmon fillet, skin on, pin bones removed; 1/4 cup coarse sea salt; 1/4 cup granulated sugar; 1 tbsp white peppercorns, crushed; 1 large bunch fresh dill, roughly chopped; 2 tbsp aquavit or vodka (optional); 2 tbsp Dijon mustard; 1 tbsp sugar, for the sauce; 1 tbsp white wine vinegar; 1/2 cup neutral oil, for the sauce

Silky salmon cured with salt, sugar, and a blanket of fresh dill — Scandinavia’s most elegant celebration dish.

⏱ 15 minPrep time

🔥 5 minCook time

🍽 8Servings

🏷 DinnerCategory

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Gravlax is Scandinavian cured salmon at its most elegant: a fresh fillet buried under a blanket of salt, sugar, white pepper and a thick layer of fresh dill, then weighted and chilled for a couple of days. The result is silky, rosy salmon with a clean, herbaceous cure.

Slice it paper-thin and serve on rye bread or crispbread with a sweet mustard-dill sauce, a classic of the smörgåsbord and midsummer table. A splash of aquavit in the cure is a traditional touch, though the dill does most of the work.

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Step by stepInstructions

Mix the salt, sugar and crushed peppercorns in a small bowl.
Rub the mixture all over the salmon, pour over the aquavit if using, and press the dill onto both sides.
Wrap tightly in plastic wrap, place in a shallow dish, and weight it with a board and cans.
Refrigerate 48 hours, turning the fillet and redistributing the juices once a day.
Scrape off the cure and dill, pat dry, and slice very thinly on the bias.
Whisk the Dijon, sugar and vinegar, then slowly stream in the oil to make a mustard sauce; serve alongside.

💡 Chef tips & storage

Thin, even slices are easier with a very sharp, long knife. The gravlax keeps, wrapped, for about 5 days.

Recipe details

Prep15 min

Cook5 min

Servings8

CategoryDinner

PublishedAugust 17, 2026

Hi, I'm Emily 🧡

Hi, I'm Emily — the cook behind My Comfort Recipes. Simple, tested comfort food for real weeknights, written down the way grandma would. Pull up a chair. More about me →

Gravlax

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Gravlax

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