Homemade Sausage Making

I asked our pal Devo if he had a favorite Gravlax recipe he could share with the members on this forum. He told me that Finlanders in his "village" of Kakabeka Falls, Ontario seem to enjoy this particular recipe. Thanks for sharing Devo.

Kakabeka Gravlax by Devo

Ingredients:
2 one lbs. center cut Salmon fillets pin bones removed skin on.
1/2 cup white or brown sugar
1/4 cup kosher salt, (substitute non-iodized table or pickling salt)
1 tablespoon coriander seed, just crushed
1-tablespoon white peppercorns just crushed. (Substitute black peppercorns)
1/4 cup vodka,
2 ounces chopped fresh dill, (You can use dried dill if you don't have fresh).

Directions:
Mix the sugar, salt, coriander seed, and peppercorns. Place the fillets, skin side down, on plastic wrap & cover the flesh side with spice mix. Spread the dill over the spice mix & pour half of the vodka on each fillet. Place one fillet on top of the other (thick back of one fillet over thin belly of other). Wrap the "sandwich" tightly with plastic wrap and wrap it again in several layers. Place the "fillet sandwich" in a large glass pan. Place a smaller glass pan on top of the "fillet sandwich" to weigh it down. Place it in a refrigerator, then every 12 hours, turn the fillets over. Keep the fillets refrigerated and weighted 3 to 4 days then unwrap and rinse them. I have made this recipe, bring the fillets 36 hours and it comes out just fine. Dry the salmon in a refrigerator for a few hours, then cold smoke it 40 minutes with the vents almost closed. Age the Gravlax a few days before serving or freeze for use later. To serve, slice thinly, close to horizontal, cutting towards where fish head used to be.

Thanks Devo, This looks like a "keeper"!

Devo and Chuckwagon,
This certainly is a great recipe. My favourite fish is smoked salmon, although farmed in Tasmania. I might try this recipe with mullet and taylor as well.
Thank you both.
Regards,
Jan,
Brisbane.

Oh, man! That sounds like just what I was hoping to find. The coriander and the white (instead of black) pepper ought to add just the subtlety that was missing from my earlier efforts.

And if that fails, there's always the vodka!

Thanks, CW and Devo. (Are you still active in the forum, Devo?)

We have been using that recipe or close to it for years but with out the cold smoking. This part is new to me. You will also find you do not have to refrigerate so long, I have left them only 36 hours and it still was fine.

And yes I am still around but

Here's a recipe I got from Food Network. Vodka's not in it but can't be bad.
It never last's long enough to rest for a day or two.


Gravalax recipe
1/2 cup salt
1/2 cup sugar
2 tbls cracked wht peppercorns or ground black pepper, as it's much cheaper
2-3 lbs salmon fillets
2 bunches of fresh dills
1 tbls liquid smoke, which I included

Mix salt, sugar, pepper and liquid smoke together.
Place 1/4 of ingredients on bottom of non reactive pan. Place salmon in. Cover salmon with rest of ingredients.
Cover with plastic wrap, weight it down with cans in another pan and marinate for 24 to 72 hrs.
Turn ever 24 hrs, turning at least once to get even brining.
Rinse, pat dry and slice into thin slices at 45 degree angle .