Recipe 22 ➺ Tom Cooper
Salmon Gravlachs With Honey Mustard Cream
An ode to all things smoked, cured and sprung from the sea. Tom Cooper finds the finest local fish he can get his hands on, meticulously pin-bones the fillets, then cures them in various mixtures of salt, herbs and sugar or smokes them with a variety of imported woods.
He’s been doing this for a long, long time—a legend amongst industry folk, quietly working behind the scenes for 40 years to supply some of Melbourne’s best restaurants with his expertly smoked and cured fish.
Ingredients & Method
Feeds 6-8
INGREDIENTS
Gravlachs
1 fillet of fresh Atlantic Salmon, pin-boned and trimmed, skin on, preferably 1.4-1.6kg
250g salt (not rock salt) Pinch of coarse
black pepper
450g raw sugar
50g ground juniper berries
2 bunches of fresh dill, finely chopped (or 40g dried dill)
20ml gin or vodka (optional)
Sauce
100ml whole egg mayonnaise
100ml sour cream
50gm sweet mustard
2 tbsp dried or fresh finely chopped dill
INGREDIENTS
Gravlachs
1 fillet of fresh Atlantic Salmon, pin-boned and trimmed, skin on, preferably 1.4-1.6kg
250g salt (not rock salt) Pinch of coarse
black pepper
450g raw sugar
50g ground juniper berries
2 bunches of fresh dill, finely chopped (or 40g dried dill)
20ml gin or vodka (optional)
Sauce
100ml whole egg mayonnaise
100ml sour cream
50gm sweet mustard
2 tbsp dried or fresh finely chopped dill
METHOD
Mix 250g salt, 250g raw sugar and the black pepper. Lay the salmon fillet skin side down on cling wrap & spread the salt, pepper and sugar mixture evenly over the fillet, with a little less near the tail. Wrap tightly, place in a tray, and if a suitable weight is available, place on top of the fillet. Refrigerate for 22 - 26 hours.
Wash the salt mixture off & dry the fillet with paper towel. Place fillet on cling wrap and cover with a layer of 200g raw sugar, the ground juniper berries and a layer of dill. Sprinkle with the vodka or gin. Wrap tightly again, and leave for 24 - 48 hours.
Scrape the sugar, juniper, dill mixture off (Note: Don‘t wash the mixture off with water—use the back of a kitchen knife.) Finally, apply a simple cover of fresh or dried dill.
Wrap again and leave for 24 hours before slicing. Using a thin, sharp knife to thinly slice the salmon leaving the skin behind.
Mix all ingredients together for the sauce and serve on the side.
Mix 250g salt, 250g raw sugar and the black pepper. Lay the salmon fillet skin side down on cling wrap & spread the salt, pepper and sugar mixture evenly over the fillet, with a little less near the tail. Wrap tightly, place in a tray, and if a suitable weight is available, place on top of the fillet. Refrigerate for 22 - 26 hours.
Wash the salt mixture off & dry the fillet with paper towel. Place fillet on cling wrap and cover with a layer of 200g raw sugar, the ground juniper berries and a layer of dill. Sprinkle with the vodka or gin. Wrap tightly again, and leave for 24 - 48 hours.
Scrape the sugar, juniper, dill mixture off (Note: Don‘t wash the mixture off with water—use the back of a kitchen knife.) Finally, apply a simple cover of fresh or dried dill.
Wrap again and leave for 24 hours before slicing. Using a thin, sharp knife to thinly slice the salmon leaving the skin behind.
Mix all ingredients together for the sauce and serve on the side.