Home Cured Gravlax. My contribution to the Christmas table. That’s it – the hype, the presents, the panic shopping, queues and empty bank accounts. All done for another year! Every boxing day I vow I’ll start earlier and do a better job of it next time. Whether I do or I don’t, you have to agree when it finally arrives, Christmas with the family is pretty good. This year I spent the day with my mum and step dad, siblings and brothers girlfriend. Highlights included cracker handbells, an epic dinner and of course – the dog eating too much and being sick everywhere.
Boxing day was spent repeating the exercise with my dad, his other half, the siblings and my step siblings. We had the annual quiz, too much baileys and dancing in the snow. All in all, a fantastic Christmas and just what I needed this year after such a difficult few months.
Love and family.
My job for Christmas at my mums is usually to make a starter or pudding (or Christmas cake). This year, after having put a shout out on twitter, I decided to make gravlax for the starter, having seen it online at The Drunken Butcher. This Scandinavian dish is salmon cured in a simple mix of sugar, salt, dill, roasted & crushed juniper berries and peppercorns. I’m not going to repeat the recipe here, you can pick it up directly from his blog (link above) but suffice to say, it’s very easy to make and really impressive! A success!
If you’re planning on making this for a special occasion, start early – the mix takes 7 days to cure the fish. You’ll need space in the fridge and don’t forget to drain and turn it daily! As it cures, the fish will feel firmer and less liquid will come out as the days go on. Once ready, you need to really thoroughly wash the cure mix off and then slice razor thin with the sharpest knife you can find! Serve just like smoked salmon!
What did you eat this year? Anything extra special or out of the ordinary?