# Gravlax **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 27, 2009, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gravlax/507959 "2009-08-27T21:46:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2009, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gravlax/507959/61 "2009-09-05T21:09:36Z")
> [@Southern\_Yankee](#): > > I wonder if rosemary could substitute for dill? Is it too strong? I have a rosemary bush which grows like crazy.I’d never have to buy it. Also, my wife hates dill, but loves rosemary. I would personally find rosemary too strong, how about thyme with a tiny bit of finely chopped rosemary? ---
**Author:** ![Southern\_Yankee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/southern_yankee/32/2800_2.png) [@Southern\_Yankee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Southern_Yankee)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2009, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gravlax/507959/62 "2009-09-05T21:54:58Z")
I’d be curious to see how it turned out. I find the dill influence to be mild, and I used a lot of it. If I cut back the amount with the rosemary it may work. Or it could be a total disaster. Sounds like fun. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2009, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gravlax/507959/63 "2009-09-06T14:53:36Z")
> [@Southern\_Yankee](#): > > I’m tasting my first batch as I type this. It’s milder than I expected, but the texture is good. Silky, but not overly oily… Mmmmmm. Do you find it too mild? I love dill, but I wouldn’t want it to overpower the fish. If your wife hates it, it sounds like there’s enough dill flavour in it. ---
**Author:** ![MikeG](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mikeg/32/4329_2.png) [@MikeG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeG)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2009, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gravlax/507959/64 "2009-09-06T15:04:27Z")
Some mechanical points: Drainage is a good thing, the whole idea of the salt and sugar is to get it into the fish via osmosis. I use a combination of dill and green onions on the bottom of the dish to keep the fish out of the water. The green onions are a little more sturdy than the dill. Try for eveness in the press I choose the filet so that when I cut it it and flip, I get a package that is nearly the same thickness from one end to the other. I have a bag of steel ball bearings I got cheap that I wrap in ziplocs and foil. This allows me to cover the whole piece evenly. I’d use lead shot if I didn’t have the steel as long as it was wrapped well. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2009, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gravlax/507959/65 "2009-09-06T15:17:41Z")
Interestingly, I found one recipe that suggests not to drain the brine, but to baste the fish with it when it’s turned. Since my fish is wrapped and placed in an open pan (covered by a second pan with the anvil in it), I have two issues: First, I don’t want to unwrap the fish; and second, basting with liquid that has been exposed to the air for hours and days is oogy. As I said in the OP, there are a lot of recipes out there, and some are contradictory. But as **teela brown** posted, ‘Gravlax is really hard to mess up. Really, as long as you leave it in the fridge rubbed in a mixture of roughly equal amounts of sugar and salt and another seasoning of your choice (usually dill), it’ll come out tasting great.’ ---
**Author:** ![Southern\_Yankee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/southern_yankee/32/2800_2.png) [@Southern\_Yankee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Southern_Yankee)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2009, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gravlax/507959/66 "2009-09-06T15:20:18Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > Do you find it too mild? I love dill, but I wouldn’t want it to overpower the fish. If your wife hates it, it sounds like there’s enough dill flavour in it. No, not _too_ mild. For some reason, the visual of the amount of dill I used made me expect a lot of dill-ness. I’m pretty pleased with the flavor. I put some in scrambled eggs this morning and it was excellent. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2009, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gravlax/507959/67 "2009-09-08T19:56:09Z")
Batch Two came out OK. I’ve sliced up the big filets and put the others, still wrapped, into a zip-top bag and put them into the freezer. This batch was a little more salty than the last, and the dill wasn’t quite as strong. So after I sliced it I minced a bunch of dill and sprinkled it between the layers in the container. Unfortunately I’m out of bread, so I’ll have to chow down tonight or mañana. I’d like to thank everyone who offered advice when I started this thread. And I’m glad I decided to make gravlax. It’s snack-o-licious! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2009, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gravlax/507959/68 "2009-09-08T20:13:40Z")
> [@Southern\_Yankee](#): > > I’d be curious to see how it turned out. I find the dill influence to be mild, and I used a lot of it. If I cut back the amount with the rosemary it may work. Or it could be a total disaster. Sounds like fun. 🙂 If your wife doesn’t like dill, you could try getting your hands on some tarragon and using that instead. It’s a classic pairing with fish of all types, and has a light, anise/licorice flavor to it (which may also be something your wife might not like the taste of, being a common flavor aversion, although it’s pretty mild in tarragon.) Also, I think the green fronds of fennel or anise would work well, but they look similar to dill. If you’re lucky enough to find chervil, that’s another herb that may work here, as well. I would think rosemary is too earthy/woody a flavor. Thyme might work better, but I still think it’s too heavy a flavor, although salmon can take it. That said, for me the dill flavor is characteristic in gravlax, so I wouldn’t substitute it. ---
**Author:** ![Southern\_Yankee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/southern_yankee/32/2800_2.png) [@Southern\_Yankee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Southern_Yankee)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2009, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gravlax/507959/69 "2009-09-26T23:11:00Z")
I’m making batch #2 tomorrow. My Coho salmon is thawing tonight. I’m going to modify my cure to a heavier salt/sugar ratio. I went 50/50 on Round 1, and I think I’m going more like 60/40 this time. I also plan to add some gin to the cure just for the heck of it. I’m sticking with dill, also. I can only find tarragon in small packages and it would be expensive; and I think Rosemary would be too strong a flavor. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2009, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gravlax/507959/70 "2009-09-27T01:29:02Z")
I stuck with the 60/40 sugar-to-salt. Half of batch #2 is still in the freezer. I have a little of each batch in the freezer at work. I saved some of the first batch for a friend, but we haven’t been able to hook up. So I saved some of the second for her as well. She’s coming by the office on Tuesday, and she can sample it. Maybe I should take the other half of the second batch in, in case she likes it. Or else save it for the following week when I stay overnight at their house. (Taking them to the airport at 0-dark-hundred.) Since they’re moving, that will be the last time I see them for a very long time. I planted some dill in a pot full of potting soil and put it by a window. It’s not coming up very well. I’ll try moving it outside. ---
**Author:** ![Southern\_Yankee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/southern_yankee/32/2800_2.png) [@Southern\_Yankee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Southern_Yankee)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2009, 11:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gravlax/507959/71 "2009-09-27T11:29:54Z")
My salmon is slightly different this time too. First time was fresh, skinless, from Norway. I froze it myself and thawed it, for safety, and made a sandwich out of two halves. This time I picked the fish up from Trader Joe’s, frozen, with skin, from Alaska. I’m making it single side up this time. I’m curious to see if there’s a noticeable difference. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2009, 11:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gravlax/507959/72 "2009-09-27T11:56:57Z")
I have recently acquired a 40 year old set of Time/Life _Foods of the World_ books. **Gravlaxsås** is amongst the Scandinavian sauce recipes and is as follows: To make about 1/2 pint 4 tablespoons dark, highly seasoned prepared mustard 1 teaspoon powdered mustard 1 1/2 ozs castor sugar 2 tablespoons white vinegar 6 tablespoons vegetable oil 3 tablespoons freshly chopped dill In a small deep bowl mix the two mustards, sugar and vinegar to a paste. With a wire whisk slowly beat in the oil until it forms a thick mayonnaise-like emulsion.Stir in the chopped dill. The sauce may be kept refrigerated in a tightly covered jar for several days, but will probably need to be shaken vigorously or beaten with a whisk to remix the ingredients before serving it again. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gravlax/507959.md?page=3)