Swedish cured salmon: buried in salt, sugar and enormous quantities of dill for 48 hours. Served paper-thin with mustard-dill sauce on rye crispbread.
About Gravlax
Sweden's most refined cured fish — Atlantic salmon fillets buried for 48 hours under a mixture of salt, sugar, white pepper and enormous quantities of fresh dill until the flesh turns translucent and deeply flavoured; sliced paper-thin with a slanted knife and served on rye crispbread with a mustard-dill (hovmästarsås) sauce; the Swedish table's most elegant beginning.
Atlantic salmon buried for 48 hours under equal weights of salt and sugar with enormous quantities of fresh dill and white pepper. Sliced paper-thin with a slanted knife and served on rye crispbread with hovmästarsås (mustard-dill sauce). The Swedish table's most elegant beginning.
“Atlantic salmon buried for 48 hours under equal weights of salt and sugar with enormous quantities of fresh dill and white pepper.”
The mustard-dill sauce (literally 'head waiter's sauce') is the essential accompaniment — sweet mustard, fresh dill, oil and a touch of white wine vinegar. It is not substitutable with plain mustard.
What to Expect
The gravlax arrives already sliced, the salmon translucent and deep pink, the dill visible in the cure. On rye crispbread with hovmästarsås, it is Scandinavia's most quietly perfect dish.
Why Try It
Gravlax is Swedish cooking's clearest demonstration of preservation elevated to gastronomy.
Insider Tips
- The slice must be paper-thin — thick-cut gravlax is improperly served.
- Hovmästarsås (mustard-dill) is the correct accompaniment — not plain mustard.
- Make it at home: 48 hours in equal parts salt and sugar with a large dill bunch.
