Danish Cured Salmon (Gravlaks)
Gravlaks Say it: GRAHV-lahks
Gravlaks is Denmark’s beloved cured salmon: a fresh fillet rubbed with salt, sugar, black pepper and dill, then weighted and chilled until silky and sliceable. It is a fixture of Danish lunch tables, smørrebrød spreads and festive buffets, especially around Christmas and Easter. The cure firms the fish without cooking it, giving a clean salty-sweet flavor, a gentle pepper bite and a fragrant dill aroma. Served in thin ribbons, it is simple, elegant and unmistakably Scandinavian.
Danish Cured Salmon (Gravlaks)
Gravlaks
Pronounced GRAHV-lahks
- Serves
- 4
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- —
- Total
- 20 min
- Level
- Easy
Also nut-free and egg-free.
Allergens: contains fish. Check labels on packaged ingredients.
Ingredients
Amounts are scaled. Cooking times and pan sizes stay the same.
For the cure
Method
In a small bowl, stir together the salt, sugar, and crushed black pepper until evenly combined.
Pat the salmon dry with paper towels. Scatter half the dill in a shallow glass or ceramic dish, lay the salmon skin-side down on it, and rub the cure over the flesh, pressing it in gently. Sprinkle with aquavit, if using, then press the remaining dill on top.
Cover with plastic wrap, set a plate on top, and weight with two cans. Refrigerate for 48 to 72 hours, turning the salmon every 12 hours and pouring off the collected liquid.
The gravlaks is ready when the flesh feels firm at the edges and springs back slowly when pressed; a thin slice should cut cleanly like dense butter.
Unwrap the salmon, discard the dill and liquid, and rinse briefly under cold running water. Pat very dry with paper towels.
Place skin-side down on a board. Using a long, thin knife, slice thinly on a diagonal from the tail end, leaving the skin behind, and fan the slices onto plates.
Serve cold, or wrap the whole cured fillet tightly and refrigerate until needed.
Regional variants
Across Scandinavia, cooks sometimes add juniper berries, white peppercorns or a splash of cognac to the cure; in Sweden it is often served with hovmästarsås, a mustard-dill sauce.
Cook's notes
- Ask your fishmonger for center-cut, skin-on salmon with pin bones removed; keep it ice-cold until curing.
- A digital scale helps keep the salt-sugar cure consistent; fine sea salt dissolves more evenly than coarse rock salt.
- Slice only what you need and keep the rest whole, because cured salmon stays fresher and easier to cut before slicing.
Serve with
Serve with hovmästarsås (mustard-dill sauce), rye bread or crispbread, lemon, and extra dill.
Make ahead and storage
Cured salmon keeps, wrapped tightly in the refrigerator, for up to 1 week; slice just before serving.
