Start a Scandinavian Smorgasbord With Gravlax 
Maria Cianci, Chronicle Staff Writer
Wednesday, June 3, 1998 
©1998 San Francisco Chronicle 

URL: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/1998/06/03/FD57400.DTL

Consomme and gravlax top my short list of culinary miracles. Much as I am bewitched by the process that transforms a murky stock into a crystal-clear elixir, I am equally seduced by the incredibly delicate flavor and supple texture that result from a heap of salt slathered on a side of salmon. 

Gravlax -- ``pickled salmon'' -- is a specialty of Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Finland. The salmon is cured with salt and seasonings -- traditionally, fresh dill, sugar and pepper. Because of its fat content, Atlantic salmon yields the most luscious gravlax. The salt gives the fillet a gorgeous pearly sheen. It also simultaneously firms the flesh and renders the texture a cross between butter and velvet. With the salt as a conduit, the flavor of the dill delicately penetrates the fish. Gravlax looks and slices very much like smoked salmon. 

The transformation from common salmon to incomparable gravlax happens in two to four days, in the refrigerator, with almost no attention from the cook. In fact, it is so easy to make that an all-thumbs, reluctant cook bearing homemade gravlax can seem like Escoffier. 

In Scandinavia, thin slices of gravlax with breads and crackers, butter and mustard-dill sauce are frequently part of a smorgasbord, with plenty of free-flowing aquavit. In Norway, the aquavit might very well be the prized Linie aquavit, a smooth, potent, caramel-colored spirit that tastes of caraway. Although it is unusual, Linie aquavit is available here in well-stocked liquor stores. 

Considering that gravlax can be started on Friday and ready on Sunday, it is an ideal weekend project to make and enjoy with friends --and then enjoy again and again throughout the week. Well-wrapped and refrigerated, gravlax keeps for up to one week. 

Using the smorgasbord as inspiration, you can turn gravlax into a Sunday supper party. Start with mugs of hot bullshot -- hot beef bouillon spiked with vodka and Tabasco. Serve the gravlax as a buffet focal point with the traditional Scandinavian accompaniments, and with deviled eggs topped with plump shrimp, vinaigrette-marinated cucumber and onion salad topped with a dollop of beet juice- tinted sour cream, hot bacon and potato salad, and a carrot salad of paper-thin rounds dressed with a caraway seed vinaigrette. 

Some Swedes wouldn't think of serving gravlax without accompanying it with pieces of the salmon skin fried to a crisp; add those to the buffet, too. 

When choosing crackers, the exceedingly thin Finnish-style rye crackers add the most pleasant brittle contrast to the buttery fish. And don't forget the Linie aquavit. 

Complete dinner with pound cake topped with whipped cream and strawberries marinated in Grand Marnier. 
 

ON THE WEEKEND 

Gravlax Scandinavian Mustard-Dill Sauce 

DURING THE WEEK 

Scrambled Eggs a la Prince of Wales Gravlax Fettuccine with Aquavit Sauce 

GRAVLAX IDEAS 

--Open-Face Chewy Rye Bread Sandwiches. Brush the bread with leftover Scandinavian Mustard-Dill Sauce; top with thin gravlax slices; dot with sour cream; drizzle with more sauce. Garnish with dill sprigs. 

--Open-Face Chewy Pumpernickel Sandwiches. Spread the bread with a thin layer of unsalted butter; top with paper- thin slices of cucumber, and season with salt and pepper. Top with thin gravlax slices and a small mound of watercress leaves dressed with leftover Scandinavian Mustard-Dill Sauce. 

--Gravlax Toast. Brush large, 1- inch-thick slices of toasted sourdough bread with leftover Scandinavian Mustard-Dill Sauce until they are slightly soggy. Top with paper-thin slices of red onion. Top with thin gravlax slices. 

--Fennel-Gravlax Salad. Arrange thinly sliced fennel on a plate and top with a few rounds of peeled, thinly sliced oranges. Season with salt and pepper. Drizzle with lemon juice and a mild-flavored olive oil. Top with thin gravlax slices. Sprinkle liberally with minced chives. Serve with warm toasted French bread. 

--Honeydew-Gravlax Salad. Thinly slice honeydew melon into random-size pieces. Combine the melon with thinly sliced onions and a little finely chopped mint; season with salt, pepper, corn oil and white wine vinegar. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Mound the mixture on a plate. Top with thin gravlax slices. 

--White Bean and Gravlax Salad. Liberally season cooked white beans with pepper, chopped basil, chopped dill, chopped scallions, mildly flavored olive oil and a little wine vinegar. Marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes. Dice thinly sliced gravlax into 1-inch pieces. Gently fold the gravlax into the beans. Serve immediately with crusty country-style whole-wheat bread. 
 

WEEKEND RECIPE: GRAVLAX 

This salmon cures in 48 hours. If you start it Friday at 6 p.m., you will be able to serve it for a Sunday supper party. Use impeccably fresh fish. Norwegian Linie aquavit is smoother than some others, and tastes of caraway. 

INGREDIENTS: 

-- 1/4 cup salt 
-- 2 tablespoons sugar
-- 1 tablespoon ground white pepper 
--2 fillets of center-cut, impeccably fresh Atlantic salmon, each 2-2 1/2 pounds 
-- 1 1/2 cups finely chopped fresh dill 
-- 3 tablespoons Linie aquavit + additional for serving 
-- Fresh dill sprigs for garnish 
-- Thin, chewy dark breads, such as pumpernickel, rye and mixed grain, cut into squares or triangles 
-- Scandinavian-style crackers 
-- Unsalted butter 
-- Scandinavian Mustard-Dill Sauce (see recipe) 

INSTRUCTIONS: Thoroughly stir together the salt, sugar and white pepper in a small bowl; set aside. 

Run your fingers down the center of the fillets to locate the tiny pin bones. Using tweezers or needle nose pliers, remove each, pulling it in the direction it is angled so you don't tear the fish. 

Dry both sides of the fillets with paper toweling. Sprinkle one-quarter of the dill on the bottom of a non-reactive rectangular baking dish that is long enough to accommodate a flat fillet. 

Place one fillet, skin side down, on the dill. Drizzle 1 1/2 tablespoons of the aquavit over the fillet. Sprinkle half of the salt mixture evenly over the flesh of the fillet, then sprinkle evenly with one- third of the remaining dill. 

Drizzle the remaining aquavit over the flesh of the second fillet, then evenly sprinkle with the remaining salt mixture and half of the remaining dill. 

Place the second fillet on top of the first, skin side up and with the thick part of the top fillet touching the thin part of the bottom fillet. Press the fillets together. Evenly sprinkle the remaining dill over the skin. 

Cover the dish with plastic wrap. Place another dish about the length of the fillets on top of the plastic wrap. Weight the dish with heavy cans to press the fillets together. 

Refrigerate for 48 hours, turning the fillets over after 24 hours. 

Lift the top fillet off and place it on a cutting board. Scrape the cure off with your fingers. Wipe the flesh with paper toweling, leaving a trace of the salt mixture if you wish. 

Remove the cure from the second fillet, rewrap the whole fillet in plastic wrap and refrigerate it for use throughout the week. Slice the first fillet for serving. Using a thin, sharp slicing knife and starting at one end of the fillet, cut the fish from the skin in slices about 1/8-inch-thick. Angle the knife slightly and cut down to but not through the skin. The fish cuts easily. 

Arrange the gravlax slices on a platter. Garnish with fresh dill sprigs. Arrange the breads and crackers separately. 

Cut the skin into 2- or 3-inch squares. Place them flat over high heat in a dry, hot saute pan; heat them until they are crisp, 2 to 3 minutes per side. 

Blot them of excess oil and arrange them on a plate. 

Serve the gravlax with aquavit, the warm skins, butter to spread on the breads and crackers, and Scandinavian Mustard-Dill Sauce to drizzle on the fish. 

Serves 6 to 7, with the second fillet to use later in the week. 

PER SERVING: 185 calories, 26 g protein, 0 g carbohydrate, 8 g fat (1 g saturated), 71 mg cholesterol, 133 mg sodium, 0 g fiber. 

WEEKEND RECIPE: SCANDINAVIAN MUSTARD-DILL SAUCE 

The aquavit imparts a subtle caraway flavor. You can substitute white wine, but the flavor will be different. 

INGREDIENTS: 

-- 2/3 cup Linie aquavit 
-- 6 tablespoons Dijon- style mustard 
-- 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar 
-- 2 tablespoons heavy cream 
-- 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar 
-- 1 cup (scant)) corn oil 
-- Freshly ground pepper to taste
-- 1/4 cup minced dill (no heavy stems) 
-- Salt, optional 

INSTRUCTIONS: Boil the aquavit in a small saucepan just until the alcohol evaporates, about 1 minute. 

Whisk together the heated aquavit, the mustard, vinegar, cream and sugar in a mixing bowl. Cool briefly, ifnecessary. Slowly whisk in the corn oil to form an emulsion. Season with pepper. Stir in the dill. 

Refrigerate, covered, at least 1 hour or overnight. Season with salt, if necessary. Serve with the gravlax. 

Makes about 2 cups. 

PER SERVING: 170 calories, 4 g protein, 8 g carbohydrate, 15 g fat (3 g saturated), 7 mg cholesterol, 131 mg sodium, 3 g fiber. 

WEEKDAY RECIPE: GRAVLAX FETTUCCINE WITH AQUAVIT SAUCE 

The sauce's slightly sweet, subtle caraway flavor is from the aquavit. You may substitute chicken broth, but the sauce will lose some of its character. 

INGREDIENTS: 

--1 1/4 cups Linie aquavit 
-- 1/2 small onion, coarsely chopped 
--1 1/4 cups heavy cream 
-- 1/4 teaspoon salt 
-- 3/4 pound fettuccine 
--1 cup frozen peas, defrosted 
--2 1/2 tablespoons butter 
--1 3/4 teaspoons minced dill (no stems) 
--Freshly ground pepper to taste 
--12 slices gravlax (sliced from the second fillet, per the Weekend Recipe), halved 

INSTRUCTIONS: Combine the aquavit and onion in a medium saucepan. Set the pan over high heat and boil until the aquavit is reduced by half, 3 to 4 minutes. 

Add the cream; bring to a boil, watching so that the cream doesn't overflow. Reduce the heat and simmer the mixture for 3 minutes. Stir in the salt. 

Meanwhile, boil the fettuccine in plenty of well salted water until it is just tender, adding the peas in the last 30 seconds of cooking. Drain the pasta and the peas very well and return them to the pot. Add the butter and toss the pasta until the butter melts. 

Strain the cream sauce sauce over the pasta. Add the dill and pepper. Toss thoroughly. 

Divide the pasta among 4 warm dinner plates. Top each with 6 pieces of the gravlax. Serve immediately. 

Serves 6. 

PER SERVING: 565 calories, 25 g protein, 48 g carbohydrate, 29 g fat (15 g saturated), 122 mg cholesterol, 209 mg sodium, 1 g fiber. 

WEEKDAY RECIPE: SCRAMBLED EGGS A LA PRINCE OF WALES 

This take-off on scrambled eggs with smoked salmon, supposedly a favorite dish of Prince Charles, is super-fast and elegant for brunch or supper. These instructions make large-curd scrambled eggs. If you can't find fresh chervil, omit
it. 

INGREDIENTS: 

--10 eggs 
-- 5 tablespoons water 
-- 1/2 teaspoon salt 
-- 2 1/2 tablespoons butter 
-- 1 tablespoon minced fresh chives + additional as needed 
-- 1 tablespoon plucked chervil leaves 
-- Freshly ground pepper to taste 
-- 12 thin slices gravlax (sliced from the second fillet, per the Weekend Recipe) 
-- Buttered brioche toast 

INSTRUCTIONS: Whisk the eggs in a large bowl until they are foamy. Thoroughly whisk in the water and the salt. 

Heat a large, heavy, preferably non-stick saute pan over high heat. When it is hot, add the butter, swirling the pan until the butter melts. 

Add the eggs; let them set for 15 seconds. Shake the pan briefly to loosen the eggs and to let more drip under the set portion. Let the unset portion solidify, 10 to 15 seconds. 

With large wooden spoons, move the eggs around in sweeping motions to break up the eggs but keep the curd large. When the eggs are half set, stir in the chives, chervil and pepper, using a few strokes. 

When the eggs are almost set, remove the pan from the heat; let stand until the eggs are just set but still moist, about 30 seconds. 

Break up the curds a little, if necessary. The whole process takes 2 to 3 minutes. 

Divide the eggs among 4 heated plates. Place 3 slices of gravlax on top of each. 

Sprinkle with a few chopped chives. Serve immediately with the brioche toast. 

Serves 4. 

PER SERVING: 370 calories, 33 g protein, 2 g carbohydrate, 26 g fat (9 g saturated), 594 mg cholesterol, 542 mg sodium, 0 g fiber.