Gravlax (marinated salmon)

Ingredients

• 2 lbs norwegian salmon fillets (of optimum quality)
• 1/4 cup salt (preferably sea salt)
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon white peppercorns, slightly crushed in a mortar
• 1 bunch fresh dill, the stems

Mustard sauce

• 3 tablespoons Swedish mustard or german sweet mustard
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon vinegar
• salt, pepper
• 6 tablespoons mild vegetable oil (not olive oil!)
• additional fresh dill, finely chopped

Directions

1. 1

   For the salmon, remove all bones with a pair of tweezers, but leave the skin on.

2. 2

   Rinse.

3. 3

   Mash the dill stems in a mortar with a little of the salt.

4. 4

   Mix with the rest of the salt, the sugar and pepper.

5. 5

   Save the dill leaves for the sauce.

6. 6

   Cover the flesh side of the fillets with the mixture, and place the fillets flesh-to-flesh in a tray made of glass or stainless steel.

7. 7

   Cover with plastic foil and put a heavy weight on top (e. g. the mortar or a brick).

8. 8

   Keep refrigerated for 72 hours, turning the fillets every 12 hours.

9. 9

   Do not discard the liquid that forms.

10. 10

    Scrape off the spices and discard the liquid.

11. 11

    The salmon will keep refrigerated for about a week.

12. 12

    For the sauce, mix mustard, sugar and vinegar.

13. 13

    Add the oil a little at the time (as for mayonnaise), constantly stirring.

14. 14

    Just before serving, add lots of dill and salt and pepper to taste.

15. 15

    Slice the salmon with a sharp, flexible knife in big, thin slices parallell to the skin.

16. 16

    Arrange the ice-cold salmon on lettuce leaves with slices of lemon.

17. 17

    Serve the sauce separately.

18. 18

    Also serve toasted bread and butter.