Beetroot & Juniper Gravlax with Dill Mustard Sauce and Rye Crisps

⏱ 2940 min · Serves 10

A Nordic showstopper worth the wait: a side of salmon buried in salt, sugar, dill and grated beetroot until it turns silky and jewel-bright at the edges. Sliced wafer-thin over shards of caraway rye crisp with a sweet-sharp mustard sauce, it makes the most elegant thing you can put on a table with almost no actual cooking.

Per serving: 352 kcal · 22.5g protein · 16.0g carbs · 22.0g fat

Ingredients

• 1 kg salmon fillet, skin on, pin-boned, centre cut
• 90 g coarse sea salt
• 75 g caster sugar
• 1 tbsp juniper berries, lightly crushed
• 1 tbsp black peppercorns, cracked
• 2 large raw beetroot (about 250 g), peeled and coarsely grated
• 1 large bunch dill (about 50 g), roughly chopped
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 2 tbsp gin or aquavit
• For the dill mustard sauce:
• 3 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tbsp wholegrain mustard
• 2 tbsp caster sugar
• 2 tbsp white wine vinegar
• 100 ml neutral oil (sunflower or rapeseed)
• 3 tbsp finely chopped dill
• Pinch of salt
• For the rye crisps:
• 6 slices dark rye bread
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp caraway seeds
• Flaky sea salt
• To serve: extra dill fronds, lemon wedges, capers (optional)

Method

1. Mix the salt, sugar, juniper, cracked pepper and lemon zest in a bowl. Stir through the grated beetroot and chopped dill to make a wet, magenta cure.
2. Lay a double layer of cling film in a shallow dish and spread a third of the cure over it. Sit the salmon skin-side down on top, splash over the gin, then pack the remaining cure firmly over the flesh, right to the edges.
3. Wrap tightly in the cling film, sit a small tray on top and weigh it down with a couple of tins. Refrigerate for 48 hours, turning the parcel over every 12 hours and pouring off any liquid that escapes.
4. Unwrap, scrape off all the cure and rinse the salmon briefly under cold water. Pat thoroughly dry with kitchen paper, then leave uncovered on a rack in the fridge for 1 hour to firm up.
5. For the sauce, whisk both mustards with the sugar, vinegar and a pinch of salt. Trickle in the oil in a thin stream, whisking constantly, until thick and glossy like a loose mayonnaise. Stir in the dill and chill.
6. For the crisps, heat the oven to 160C fan. Brush the rye slices with olive oil, scatter with caraway and flaky salt, and cut each into 3 or 4 shards. Bake on a tray for 18-22 minutes until dry and snapping crisp. Cool completely.
7. Using your longest, sharpest knife, slice the gravlax on a shallow angle into paper-thin slices, leaving the skin behind.
8. Arrange the slices in loose ribbons on a chilled platter, spoon over a little dill mustard sauce and scatter with dill fronds and capers. Serve the rye crisps and lemon wedges alongside, with the rest of the sauce in a bowl.