Name: DIY Gravlax
Total time: 3 d 25 min
Ingredients: 1/2 cup kosher salt; 1/2 cup chopped fresh dill; 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar; 1 (1½-pound) center-cut skinless salmon fillet , about 1½ inches thick

Why This Recipe Works

For our DIY gravlax recipe, we started at the grocery store, selecting a skinless, center-cut salmon fillet. The even thickness of the center-cut fillet made for more even curing. Coating the salmon in a salt mixture in a large zipper-lock bag contained the mess and made it easy to flip. Pressing the gravlax while curing ensured that the cured fish had a pleasant density and firmness, and rinsing the salmon after removing it from the cure kept it from tasting too salty. Finally, patting the gravlax dry and slicing the fillet in half lengthwise before slicing it crosswise made it easier to create paper-thin slices.

Before You Begin

We prefer using farmed salmon here; if you choose to use wild salmon, reduce the curing time in step 2 to 36 hours, flipping the bag halfway through the curing period.

Instructions

Combine salt, dill, and sugar in bowl. Place salmon in 1-gallon zipper-lock bag. Spread half of salt mixture evenly over top of salmon. Flip bag and spread remaining half of salt mixture over bottom of salmon (salmon should be well coated all over). Press out air and seal bag.

Place bag on large plate or rimmed baking sheet, making sure salmon sits flat. Place square baking dish filled with 2 large, heavy cans on top of bag. Refrigerate for 3 days, flipping bag once each day.

Remove gravlax from salt mixture; discard salt mixture. Rinse gravlax well with cold water and pat dry with paper towels. To serve, slice gravlax in half lengthwise, then slice crosswise on bias as thin as possible with sharp knife. (Gravlax can be wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerated for up to 3 days.)