A bagel with cream cheese and lox is a staple of Jewish delis all across North America, but it can be hard to find elsewhere. Worse, if you’re craving one and want to make your own, buying all that smoked or cured salmon can be expensive.
However, while smoked salmon requires some special equipment, you likely already have most of what you need to cure your own salmon as gravlax.
It’s an easy and much more affordable way to cure that craving with a nice breakfast, or at any other time of day.
1. First, cut your salmon into two equal-sized pieces. Bear in mind they’ll need to be placed on top of each, like a sandwich, with skin-sides facing out the top and towards the bottom, once we get started on the curing process.
Clean the fresh dill or herbs. Keep a small amount for garnishing. Mix your salt, sugar, and dill or herbs together in a bowl to make the brine mixture.
2. Place one piece of salmon onto a large piece of cling-film, skin-side down. Cover with ¾ of your brine mixture, and add that dash of vodka or gin for extra flavour if you’d like. Place the other half of your salmon on top of it, skin-side facing up. Add the remaining brine mixture to the sides, and place in four to five juniper berries if using them.
Rub as much of the mixture that’s fallen into the sides of the fish as you can. Wrap tightly with the cling-film and place it onto a tray or bowl.
3. Place something to weigh down the fish evenly on top of it, such as a heavy bottle or jar. The more evenly distributed and covered the fish is by this weight, the better.
Put it into your fridge and flip twice a day over the next 72 hours, though a day or two often makes for an even tastier cut. Drain out excess brining liquid from the dish as necessary for an easier clean-up later.
4. Once the time period has passed, remove the cling-film and rinse the fish under cold water and rub off the brine. Pat the fish dry, and lay each piece of the fish skin-side down on a cutting board.
To get those thin slices best for serving on bagels, slice across the top of the fish at an angle with a long, sharp knife.
Cut down as much as you can of the fish, then discard the skin. Garnish with the remaining fresh dill or herbs to your liking, and enjoy. If wrapped in fresh cling-film or kept in a well-sealed container, the fish will keep for about 3-4 days in the fridge.
