CREATIVE IDEAS FOR HOME COOKING BEETROOT-CURED SALMON… GRAVL AX
BY CHILI GOURMET CATERING CHEF HELLE BARLEBO
In this edition you are in for a real special Scandinavian treat, with a beetroot touch and spiced up with vodka. During the Middle Ages, gravlax was made by fishermen who salted salmon and lightly fermented it by burying it in sand directly by the sea. The word “gravlax” comes from the Scandinavian word “grav”, which means “grave and lax” – or “laks”, which is “salmon” in the Scandinavian languages. So “gravlax” means “buried salmon”, to be exact. Nowadays, nobody needs to bury salm on because, fortunately, the fridge has been invented.
INGREDIENTS · 1 side of fresh (raw) Norwegian salmon fillet MARINADE: · 3 raw beetroots · 1 cup of Maldon salt · 1/4 cup of white sugar · 1 spoonful of 5-Pepper mix · Handful of fresh dill · Zest of 1 organic orange · Shot of vodka If you are feeling like a Viking, you can also add a spoonful of powdered (“Lakrids-pulver”) or liquid liquorice concentrate.
When you buy the fresh salmon at your fishmongers, ask them to remove the head and all the bones, so you have a clean-cut full fillet-side of salmon, easy and ready to marinate. Remove the top and skin of the beetroots, give them a good rinse and cut them into smaller pieces. I do recommend using plastic gloves when working
with beetroot, as the colour is rather intense and tends to be a challenge to remove. Place all the ingredients for the marinade into a blender and emulsify. Put half the marinade into a large glass or plastic container that accommodates the size of the fish. Place the salmon on top and cover with the rest of the marinade. Cover with kitchen wrap, and into the fridge it goes for around 48 hours. Give the cured salmon a good cold water wash to remove the marinade, and dry softly with some paper towel. Place it into the fridge again for a minimum eight hours without a top, to dry and finish the curing process. Notice the firm consistency and beautiful colour of the salmon when cured – all ready to impress your guests and family. Cut the salmon you need in fine angled slices, then only your imagination sets the limit for the thousands of ways to serve this delicacy. Some of my favourite servings are traditional carpaccio or salmon roll bites, filled with Philadelphia cheese with lime and dill, cut into sushi pieces and topped with caviar and dill. It is also delicious on top of roasted sourdough bread, with Danish Lurpak butter, lemon, salt roasted pumpkin seeds, red onions and capers, and on some fresh dill and karse sprouts (the spiced Viking cress). If you need a day off, treat yourself and your guests with a complete catering experience at your home. Like I always say, “A chilli a day, keeps the doctor away”.
Chili Gourmet Catering… by Helle Barlebo Tel. (+34) 666 627 105 helle@chiligourmet.es www.chiligourmet.es
