Gravlax is fresh salmon that’s been cured with a combination of salt and sugar. It’s arguably the ultimate easy-to-make luxury food in the world! This homemade Cured Salmon Gravlax recipe can be made with a small fillet or whole side of salmon, and costs a fraction of store bought.
The beauty of homemade cured salmon is that you can control the salt so it’s not too salty and it’s got a fresh herb flavour that you’ll never get in a packet! Also, don’t miss the stunning Beetroot Cured Salmon!
I’ve made cured salmon gravlax a bunch of times over the years and my results were varied. Never any epic disasters, they were always edible. But sometimes they were over cured, under cured, and the biggest problem I’ve had is over salted salmon.
If you’ve invested in a beautiful sashimi-grade piece of salmon, it’s almost criminal if it’s so salty that it overpowers the salmon!
If you search around on the internet, you’ll find that the ratios of salmon to salt and sugar and curing times are absolutely all over the place. Some recipes use as much as 750g/1.5lb salt + sugar to 1 kg / 2 lb of salmon. Some recipes use as little as 175g/6oz of salt + sugar. Then curing times range from 12 hours to 3 days.
Now finally, I have Cured Salmon Gravlax Recipe that’s a keeper with the right ratio of salt and sugar:
Equal parts salt + sugar (combined) 50% of the weight of the salmon. Coat, leave 24 hours for lightly cured, 36 hours for medium (this is what I do) and 48 hours for hard cure.
Difference between gravlax and smoked salmon
Smoked salmon and gravlax are actually quite similar in flavour and texture in that they both have a moist, silky texture that is “raw-like”, rather than hard like jerky or cooked. But the big difference is that smoked salmon is made by smoking raw salmon at a low temperature which infuses the salmon which smokey flavour which gravlax does not have.
Other than the smokey flavour, they are actually quite similar! In fact, you can use this homemade gravlax in place of smoked salmon in all my smoked salmon recipes, including Salmon Quiche, these Smoked Salmon Appetizer Bites and this Smoked Salmon Dip!
How long does gravlax keep?
It depends on how much you cure the salmon. I would not keep lightly cured salmon (24 hours) beyond 36 hours at most (just to be safe). Medium cured salmon (36 – 48 hour cure) for 2 days to be safe, but 3 should be fine. Hard cured salmon (3 day cure) can be kept for 5 days.
Quick Cured Salmon – How to Cure Salmon in 3 Minutes
FAQ
Is home cured salmon safe to eat?
Does curing salmon remove parasites?
How do you make raw salmon safe to eat?
Is brined salmon safe to eat?
Should I curing my own salmon?
Not to mention, curing your own salmon gives you the option to control the saltiness of the final product, and you can toss any desired herbs or spices that you particularly like into your curing mix.
Is fresh salmon safe to eat?
Yes, salmon is a source of omega 3, the fatty acid is responsible for acting in the prevention of cardiovascular diseases, making the heart strong and healthy. Just be careful to analyze the supplier to make sure it doesn’t have any contamination.
Is cured salmon cooked?
Cured salmon is not cooked. The salt and sugar used preserve the salmon so cooking is not necessary. Cured salmon is typically cut into thin slices and served raw. Lox and gravlax are both salt cured, while smoked salmon is, well, smoked. Cured salmon, or gravlax/lox is typically cured in a mixture of salt, sugar spices and sometimes alcohol.
Can smoked salmon be cured at home?
Smoked salmon is an entirely different kind of curing, which we won’t be getting into here, but for the record, you can totally make that at home too. Now for the nitty-gritty: When making a cure (the mix you’ll use to cover the fish), the general rule of thumb is to use equal parts salt and sugar.