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What is gravlax ?

Gravlax (Swedish), also known as gravad lax or gravlaks (in Danish and Norwegian), literally means buried fish. It is a traditional Scandinavian dish that involves rubbing a fresh salmon fillet (a) with sugar and salt (b), covering it with fresh dill (c), wrap it in foil (d) and allowing it to cure for several days at low temperature.

a b c d

During this time the enzymes in the salmon change the structure of the meat, which becomes more translucent and very tender.

It should be kept cool and eaten within a few days. It is normally served with a sweet mustard-dill sauce.

As it is made of raw fish, it is not recommended for pregnant women, due to the risk of the presence of Listeria bacteria.

Sources of images : http://www.globalgourmet.com/food/special/2003/aquavit/gravlax.jpg and http://www.dlc.fi/~marianna/gourmet/5_2.htm