Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text below are reprinted from Andreas Viestad's book Kitchen of Light: New Scandinavian Cooking. _Viestad also shared some helpful tips exclusively with Epicurious, which we've added at the bottom of the page.
Traditional gravlaks is made from two whole salmon fillets and flavored only with salt, sugar, dill, and pepper. If the fish is good, there is nothing better. The gravlaks found in American markets is normally very mild, sometimes slightly scented, often with dried dill. Fresh dill has a taste that is discreet and subtle; it flavors the salmon nicely without competing with the fish's own flavors.
Some cookbooks suggest freezing the salmon before you prepare it, to get rid of harmful microorganisms; with modern hygienic treatment of fish, this should not be a big issue. If you do freeze it, do it after it has been cured. Some of the proteins that may be damaged when freezing fresh fish will have broken down in the cured fish, so gravlaks can stand up to freezing better than fresh salmon can. The gravlaks will keep for up to 1 week in the refrigerator.
Gravlaks is normally served as one of many cold dishes in a buffet or smorgasbord. Serve with Sweet Mustard Sauce and scrambled eggs and dark rye bread for open-faced sandwiches, or with pickles and capers.
·For proper, even curing, it's necessary to make at least two or more pounds of gravlaks at one time — ideally two 3-pound filets as in this recipe. This is a relatively large amount, but gravlaks makes a great gift, especially around the holidays.
