Blueberry-Cured Salmon Gravlax

More About Wild Alaskan Salmon

For this recipe I use Copper River sockeye salmon, coming from Alaska’s 290-mile long Copper River – which boasts some of the best wild salmon in the world. While it can be substituted for another type of salmon, I love the deep red color (so bright it reminds me of Swedish Fish) and the outstanding flavor of the Copper River sockeye.

The Copper River sockeye salmon season lasts from May through August so be sure to jump on it when you see the coveted fish (it’s like the Tesla of salmon) in stores, as they are well worth the price.

What is Gravlax and How is it Different Than Lox?

Confused at all the words used to describe cured salmon: gravlax, lox, smoked salmon, kippered salmon? Let me drop some knowledge to try to clear it up a bit. Gravlax is Scandinavian cured (but not smoked) salmon made with a combination of salt, sugar and traditionally dill although other herbs and flavors can be added.

Lox or belly lox is salmon cured in salt (and not smoked). Finally, smoked salmon is traditionally wet-or dry brined in salt and sugar and then cold smoked so that it still looks like lox but has that smoky flavor. Kippered salmon is wet-brined but hot smoked at a controlled temperature which gives it a cooked salmon texture but lots of smoke.

How to Make Gravlax Salmon

1. Make the cure. Stir together the salt and sugar until combined to make the cure mixture. Pat the salmon dry with paper towels. Place skin side up on a piece of parchment paper. Rub half of the cure mixture on the skin side of the filet.
2. Spread the cure over the salmon. Arrange half of the thyme on the bottom of a baking dish. Place the salmon fillet skin-side down and spread the cure over the top.
3. Cure the salmon. Use your hands to mash up the blueberries to form a paste. Rub the paste all over the top of the salmon. Cover with the remaining thyme and cover the baking dish with plastic wrap. Refrigerate and let cure for one day.
4. Flip the salmon. Unwrap the fish and flip over so that its skin side up. Cover with plastic once more and let cure for at 2 additional days. The gravlax should be firm to the touch at the thickest part.
5. Discard brine and slice. Unwrap the salmon and discard any excess brine. Place skin side down on a cutting board and use a sharp knife to thinly slice the salmon crosswise.
6. Serve. Serve on toast or with bagels and cream cheese.

Other Recipes to Try

If you enjoy this blueberry-cured salmon gravlax recipe, I recommend checking out some of these:

• Classic Smoked Salmon Bagel Combination
• How to Host a Bagel Brunch
• Roasted Orange Ginger Salmon