How to Make Gravlax at Home with Gravlax Blend

Gravlax is one of the quietest things a cook can make, and one of the most rewarding. A fillet, a weighed amount of ByArtos Gravlax Blend, a zip-lock bag and two days in the fridge. Nothing is cooked and nothing is rushed. What comes out is silky, saline and clean, and it slices into the thin, translucent ribbons we serve at home with rye bread and a little butter.

This is the method we use, and the method printed on the pack. Scan the QR code on the jar and you will find the exact quantities for your fish.

What gravlax actually is

Gravlax is a cold cure. Salt draws moisture out of the fish, sugar and spice season it, and time does the rest. It is not smoked and it is not heated at any point, which is why the quality of the fish matters more than any other detail in this recipe.

The cure is old and forgiving, but it is not magic. It preserves and it flavours. It does not make a fish safe to eat raw.

Start with fish you trust

Start with salmon or trout sold as sushi grade, fish handled and prepared for raw consumption. That is how you stay clear of parasites and foodborne illness.

Ask your fishmonger for a center-cut fillet, cleaned and trimmed. A piece of about 1 kg is a good size for a home cure: thick enough to stay juicy in the middle, thin enough to cure evenly. Take a minute to run your finger down the fillet and pull any pin bones with fish tweezers. Then pat the fish completely dry with kitchen paper. A dry surface gives you a cleaner cure.

What you need

• 1 salmon or trout fillet, about 1 kg, center cut, pin bones removed
• ByArtos Gravlax Blend, weighed to your fish
• 1 large zip-lock bag, big enough for the fillet to lie flat
• a shallow tray or dish
• kitchen paper
• fish tweezers
• a sharp, long knife for slicing

How much blend to use

Weigh the fish first, then season according to its weight, following the quantities in the recipe. The QR code on the pack takes you straight to it, so there is no guessing and no half-used sachet.

Weigh in grams, write the number down, and work from that. Consistency is what makes the second cure as good as the first.

Step by step

1. Prepare the fish

Rinse the fillet briefly under cold water if it needs it, then dry it thoroughly with kitchen paper. Remove any pin bones. Trim away thin, ragged edges so the fillet is an even thickness.

2. Weigh and season

Put the fillet on a board and weigh it. Season it according to its weight, following the recipe, covering the flesh side evenly and pressing the blend gently into the surface with your hand. Keep the skin side clean.

3. Bag it

A zip-lock bag is the easiest way to cure gravlax, and the tidiest. Slide the seasoned fillet in, press the air out, and seal the bag well. Set it on a shallow tray so any liquid that escapes stays off your fridge shelf.

4. Cure in the fridge

Keep the bag in the fridge for 36 to 48 hours, turning it over every 12 hours. Set a reminder on your phone if that helps. Thirty-six hours gives you a softer, more delicate cure, forty-eight a firmer one.

5. Check the cure

At the 36 hour mark, open the bag and press the thickest part of the fillet with a fingertip. It should feel firm at the edges and springy in the center, and the flesh should look deeper in color and slightly translucent. Slice a thin piece from the end and taste it. That taste is your cue.

6. Discard the liquid

Once the cure is to your liking, pour away the liquid in the bag and pat the fillet dry.

7. Slice it thin

Lift the fillet out, blot it, and slice very thin, about 2 mm, with a long sharp knife held almost flat to the fish and drawn across it at a slight angle. Fan the slices onto a plate. Finish with fresh dill and a light sprinkle of Gravlax Blend over the top.

8. Store what you do not serve

If you are not serving it straight away, vacuum pack it, or wrap it tightly and freeze it for up to 90 days. Thaw it slowly in the fridge overnight and slice it while it is still cold.

Why turn the bag every 12 hours

The cure works through contact. Turning the bag redistributes the liquid that forms, so the blend stays against the fish instead of pooling in one corner, and both sides cure evenly. It takes five seconds and it is the difference between an even cure and a patchy one.

How to serve gravlax

Serve it simply: rye bread, cold butter, a little dill. Add a mustard sauce made with Dijon, a spoon of honey, a little vinegar and a mild oil. It also lifts a plate of boiled potatoes, a soft scramble, a green salad or a piece of toasted sourdough.

Keep the accompaniments quiet. Gravlax is rich and saline on its own, and a short ingredient list lets the cure speak.

Common questions

How long does gravlax keep?

Once cured, keep it covered in the fridge and serve it within 5 to 7 days. Vacuum packed, it keeps for longer, and frozen it holds for up to 90 days.

Can you freeze gravlax?

Yes. Vacuum pack it, or wrap it tightly, and freeze it for up to 90 days. Thaw overnight in the fridge.

Do you need to rinse gravlax before slicing?

Not usually. If the surface tastes too salty, rinse it briefly under cold water and pat it dry before slicing.

Salmon or trout?

Both work. Trout is smaller, so it cures faster and gives slightly firmer slices. Whichever you choose, buy it as sushi grade.

A word on quantity

Gravlax keeps well and disappears quickly, so cure two fillets while the bag is out. One for the weekend, one for the freezer. Weigh both, season both, and follow the same timing.

Made with Spanish sea salt and developed in Spain by our family's Master Chef, Gravlax Blend is the cure we use at home. Find the recipe on the pack, and the blend at www.byartos.com.