Serves 12-16
2 1/2 – 3 lb. thick salmon fillet, skin on but all bones removed
1/4c. Kosher or sea salt
1/4 c. sugar
2 Tbls. white peppercorns, crushed with a mortar and pestle
Cognac
2 lg. bunches of dill, coarsely cut (reserve a dozen sprigs for garnishing later)
Cut the fish in half. Even though you or your fishmonger has deboned the fish already, please check the salmon for tiny pinbones that dig deep into the flesh. Remove them with tweezers or small needle-nose pliers, being careful not to damage the salmon.
Combine salt, sugar and crushed white peppercorns in a bowl. Rub this mixture into both fillet halves. Drizzle about 2 tablespoons cognac over each piece and rub into the flesh.
Place first piece of salmon (skin side-down) in an enamel or glass baking dish. Spread the chopped dill over the top of this fillet. Place other fillet on top, aligning the sides evenly. Cover baking dish tightly with plastic wrap. Put a heavy pan or board or a couple of bricks or cans on top of the salmon and refrigerate 3-5 days, turning the salmon occasionally and basting with the liquid that accumulates in the dish.
To Slice:
Discard the dill and brush off all the curing mixture so that the fish does not taste too salty. Pat the fish dry with paper towels. Using a very sharp, long thin-bladed knife, thinly slice (using a back-and-forth sawing motion) the salmon crosswise and on the bias (the knife is tilted at about a 45-degree angle to the fish). Try to keep the slices as long and as thin as possible.
To Serve:
Serve sliced gravlax as a first course on individual plates or as an hors d’oeuvre on a platter. Garnish with sprigs of dill and accompany with thin slices of dense dark European-style rye or pumpernickel bread and the dill-mustard sauce.
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