Gravlax

Name: Gravlax
Prep time: 20 min
Total time: 2900 min
Yield: 10 people
Cuisine: Swedish
Ingredients: 800 g Salmon, one side, skin on, pin-boned, previously frozen; 60 g Salt, coarse, not iodised; 60 g Sugar; 100 g Dill, a large bunch, stalks and all, roughly chopped; 1 tbsp Black pepper, coarsely crushed; white pepper is traditional; 2 tbsp Vodka, or aquavit; 2 tbsp Dijon mustard; 1 tbsp Sugar; 1 tbsp White wine vinegar; 100 ml Neutral oil; 20 g Dill, finely chopped

Gravad lax

Salmon cured for two days in salt, sugar and dill, sliced thin and served with sweet mustard sauce.

Recipe by I Want Some Food · Reviewed by the editorial kitchen. Native name preserved: Gravad lax.

Start cooking

Prep: 20 min
Cook: —
Rest: 48 hr
Total: 48 hr 20 min
Difficulty: Easy
Spice: No chilli
Cost: Treat yourself$28+ USD · indicative, not a store price

Know it before you cook it

About

Gravlax is raw salmon cured, not cooked. A side of salmon is packed in equal parts salt and sugar with a thick layer of chopped dill and crushed pepper, wrapped, weighted and left in the fridge for 36 to 48 hours. The cure draws out water, firms the flesh and seasons it through. You then scrape off the dill, slice the fish thin on the diagonal and serve it with hovmästarsås, a sweet dill mustard sauce. There is no heat anywhere. Buy the best salmon you can and freeze it first unless the fishmonger confirms it has been frozen already.

What you'll need

11 ingredients. Tap each one once it's out on the bench.

0 of 11 ready

10 servings

Cure
Mustard sauce

Ingredients

Servings

Cure

Salmon, one side, skin on, pin-boned, previously frozen800 g
Salt, coarse, not iodised60 g
Sugar60 g
Dill, a large bunch, stalks and all, roughly chopped100 g
Black pepper, coarsely crushed; white pepper is traditional15 ml
Vodka, or aquavit (optional)30 ml

Mustard sauce

Dijon mustard30 ml
Sugar15 ml
White wine vinegar15 ml
Neutral oil100 ml
Dill, finely chopped20 g

Scaling multiplies the written quantities. Baking still prefers a scale.

Steps

Step 1
Run your fingers over the salmon and pull any remaining bones with tweezers. Pat it dry. Cut the side in two equal pieces.
5 min
Step 2
Mix salt, sugar and crushed pepper. Lay one piece skin down in a dish, splash with vodka if using, and cover with half the cure and all the dill. Press the second piece on top, flesh to flesh, and cover with the rest of the cure.
5 min
Step 3
Wrap the dish tightly in cling film. Set a board on top and weight it with two tins. Refrigerate 36 to 48 hours, turning the parcel over every 12 hours and spooning the liquid back over.
2880 min
Tip: Thinner tail pieces are done at 36 hours. Thick centre cuts want the full 48.
Step 4
For the sauce, whisk mustard, sugar and vinegar, then drizzle in the oil while whisking until it thickens like a thin mayonnaise. Stir in the dill. Chill.
5 min
Step 5
Unwrap the salmon and scrape off the dill and cure. Rinse briefly under cold water and pat completely dry.
5 min
Step 6
Slice thinly on a long diagonal, cutting away from the skin, with a long sharp knife. Serve with the mustard sauce, lemon, rye or crispbread and boiled potatoes.
Watch: Cured is not cooked. Pregnant or immune-compromised guests should know.

Nutrition

Per serving · estimate

Calories: 268 kcal
Protein: 18.2 g
Carbs: 8.7 g
Fat: 17.2 g
Saturated fat: 2.9 g
Fibre: 0.5 g
Sugar: 7.3 g
Sodium: 2401 mg

Calculated from canonical ingredient data (USDA FoodData Central averages and equivalent published tables). Estimates only.

Allergens

Informational only. Not a medical guarantee. Cross-contamination happens in real kitchens.

Fish

Pescatarian
Dairy-free
Gluten-free
Nut-free

Adapt this recipe

The original recipe stays as it is. Personal versions are labelled. Serving changes are simple maths.

Adaptations · 0 / 15 used. Resets 12 November.

Substitutions

Salmon → Sea trout or arctic char
Both cure the same way and are closer to what Nordic rivers actually produce.

Tips

Freezing the fish for at least 24 hours before curing kills parasites. Most farmed salmon is sold pre-frozen; ask.
Gravlax keeps a week in the fridge, wrapped, and freezes well in portions.
Beetroot grated into the cure turns the outer edge purple and is a modern Swedish party trick, not a tradition.

History & culture

Christmas and midsummer tables, the smörgåsbord, and any Swedish buffet worth the name. It sits beside pickled herring and crispbread. Thin slices on rye or with boiled new potatoes are the everyday way to eat it. Norway, Denmark and Finland claim it too.

The name means buried salmon. Medieval fishermen salted salmon and buried it in sand above the tide line to ferment. The modern fridge cure with sugar and dill is a 20th-century refinement and smells a great deal better.

Traditional

Provenance: Editorial adaptation.

Questions about this recipe

Answers taken from this dish's times, amounts, swaps and tips.

How long does Gravlax take?

48 hr 20 min all in — 20 min prep, 48 hr rest. Cook and rest follow the method. Leftover storage and optional extra waits are not included.

How many does it serve?

The recipe is written for 10 people. Scale the ingredient list on the page if you are cooking for a different number.

How hard is it?

Easy.

How spicy is it?

No chilli.

What allergens should I watch?

This recipe is labelled for Fish. Labels are informational — check the packets in your kitchen. This is not medical advice.

Does it fit a diet?

The published recipe is labelled Pescatarian, Dairy-free, Gluten-free, Nut-free.

9 more questions

What does it cost to cook?

Treat yourself — about $28+ USD, as a grocery budget for this recipe, not a restaurant price.

What equipment do I need?

Chef's knife, Cutting board, Mixing bowl.

How much salt do I put in?

The recipe lists Salt at 60 g (coarse, not iodised).

How much sugar?

60 g of Sugar.

How much sugar?

1 tbsp of Sugar.

What can I use instead?

Salmon → Sea trout or arctic char. Both cure the same way and are closer to what Nordic rivers actually produce.

What should I watch for?

Cured is not cooked. Pregnant or immune-compromised guests should know.

Any tips from this recipe?

Freezing the fish for at least 24 hours before curing kills parasites. Most farmed salmon is sold pre-frozen; ask. Gravlax keeps a week in the fridge, wrapped, and freezes well in portions. Beetroot grated into the cure turns the outer edge purple and is a modern Swedish party trick, not a tradition.

Can I use an air fryer?

This method is not written for an air fryer. The core technique on the page still applies.