Gravlax should be familiar

Don't be tied to one option when it comes to flavorful fish dishes.
By CAROLE KOTKIN
KNIGHT RIDDER NEWSPAPERS
Gravlax has the same velvety texture as the best smoked salmon, but is much more moist with a subtle flavor of the sea. It couldn't be simpler to make, yet it seems luxurious, in the same sophisticated league as caviar and truffles.
Scandinavians often serve gravlax for breakfast or as part of a smorgasbord. In the United States we know it best as an hors d'oeuvre.
The process of curing raw salmon for preservation can be traced to 14th century Scandinavia. Fillets were coated with salt and seasonings, wrapped in seaweed and buried with pine or spruce twigs for up to a year. (In Swedish, "gravlax" means buried fish.)
We make gravlax today by "burying" the salmon in a mixture of salt, sugar and spices like crushed peppercorns, coriander seed, juniper berries or allspice. Herbs such as dill, cilantro or thyme are sandwiched between two pieces of salmon, which is tightly wrapped, weighted and refrigerated for three days while the fish "cooks" in the preserving brine.
Here are tips:
Any variety of salmon is fine as long as it is very fresh.
Choose a large fillet (at least two pounds) cut from the center of the salmon with the skin on. This will make slicing easier.
Use needle-nose pliers (washed in hot soapy water before and after) for removing the pin bones. Run your fingers over the fish to feel the bones, grasp them with the pliers and tug them out.
Use coarse sea salt or kosher salt, not iodized salt, to avoid any chemical aftertaste.
To crush peppercorns or other whole spices, place in a small self-sealing plastic bag and smash with a meat pounder, a small heavy pan, a rolling pin, or the flat side of a large knife.
Once cured, gravlax can be refrigerated for up to one week. Although not ideal, it can be frozen for several weeks.
TWO CHEFS' GRAVLAX
I adapted this recipe from Jan Jorgensen, the Danish-born chef-owner of Two Chefs Restaurant in South Miami.
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup coarse salt
1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns, crushed
1 tablespoon juniper berries or coriander seeds, crushed
1 (2-pound) center-cut salmon fillet, with skin on
2 bunches fresh dill, with stems
Combine the sugar, salt and spices, except dill, in a small bowl, and set aside.
Cut the fillet in half crosswise, and remove any bones. Place the pieces side by side, flesh side up, in a 9-by-13-inch glass baking dish, and rub all over (skin, too) with the spice mixture.
Spread the dill over one of the salmon pieces, and place the other piece on top, flesh side down. It will be like a sandwich with the skin to the outside. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap, leaving the ends open, and place back in the baking dish.
Set an 8-inch-square pan on top of the fish and place unopened cans in it to weight it down. Transfer to the refrigerator, and chill for 12 hours.
Remove the wrapped fish from the baking dish. Pour off and discard the accumulated liquid. Turn the fish over, return it to the baking dish and put the weighted pan back on top. Continue to refrigerate for 3 more days, turning the fish every 12 hours.
Remove and discard the plastic wrap. Scrape the dill and spices from the surface of both fillets. Slice thinly as you would smoked salmon, on the bias, leaving the skin behind. Serve with rye or pumpernickel bread, lemon wedges and sour cream, creme fraiche or mustard sauce. Makes enough gravlax for 8 to 10 first-course or 16 to 20 hors d'oeuvre servings.
Note: Meaningful nutritional analysis is not possible.