Michael Weisss Gravlax
- 2 skin-on Arctic char fillets (3/4 pound each)
- 1/2 cup kosher salt
- 1/4 cup raw (turbinado) sugar
- 1 1/2 tablespoons coriander seeds
- 2 teaspoons fennel seeds
- Grated zest of 1 lemon
- Capers, thinly sliced or minced red onion, creme fraiche, baguette toasts (page 41)
- With needle-nose pliers or tweezers, remove the fishs fine pin bones.
- (You can feel these by running your fingers over the thickest part of the flesh in the head-to-tail direction.)
- In a small bowl, stir together the salt and sugar.
- Lightly crush the coriander and fennel seeds together in a mortar.
- Line a tray with plastic wrap.
- Sprinkle the tray with 1/4 cup of the salt-sugar blend, making an evenly thick bed as large as the fillets will be when placed side by side.
- Arrange the fillets on the bed of seasoning, skin side down.
- Sprinkle each fillet with 1/4 cup of the saltsugar blend and with half of the pounded seeds and half of the lemon zest.
- Sandwich the fillets, flesh sides together, then wrap tightly in plastic wrap.
- Put a tray on top and a 5-pound weight on the tray.
- Refrigerate for 24 hours, turning over the package halfway through.
- Unwrap the fish and inspect the flesh.
- It should feel firm but not leathery.
- If it still feels flaccid, rewrap, replace the weight, and marinate for a few hours longer.
- To serve, unwrap the fish and scrape off the spices.
- Rinse the flesh briefly in cold water, then pat it dry.
- Using a thin-bladed slicing knife, carve the fish as thinly as possible on a strong bias to make wide slices.
- Arrange the slices on a platter or on individual plates and pass the garnishes separately for guests to add as desired.
- Enjoy with Cakebread Cellars Sauvignon Blanc or another medium-weight, brisk white wine.
skin, kosher salt, sugar, coriander seeds, fennel seeds, lemon, capers
Taken from www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/michael-weiss-s-gravlax-388165 (may not work)