Fishing for Gravlax at Christmas

TFW it's so cold you can cure a fish in your garden

It’s -6’c today. There’s only one thing for Scandinavian temperatures, and that’s Scandinavian food. Today’s newsletter features a meal I have been making for Christmas Eve for about 8 years, so I suppose it’s become my Christmas tradition.

I like this meal because you can prep ALL of it in advance. Then simply butter your rye bread when it’s time to eat, and delicately place a thin slice of cured fish on top with a smug smile.

I also like this meal because everyone I make it for seems to love it, and there’s nothing more fulfilling as a cook than a crowd of people polishing off a spread you’ve made. Fishing for gravlax, or fishing for compliments? You decide. I refuse to believe cooking is simply about caring for the ones you love: it’s about showing off and making yourself feel proud and important in this cruel world!!!!!! It’s about shouting I AM THE ONE WHO COOKS to a crowd of unsuspecting party guests. It’s Christmas and that means it’s both Jesus and the cook’s time to shine. Let it all hang out.

I’m including 5 recipes in this newsletter to create the Christmas Eve feast: Beetroot Gravlax, My Favourite Potato Salad, Devilled Eggs, Smoked Mackerel Pâté, and Quick Pickled Cucumber and Beetroot. Next week I’ll be following up with a few canapé ideas for the season because apparently good things come in small packages... More as I have it.

It is a sad fact that most salmon you can buy in the UK is intensively farmed. Good options are to opt for trout if you can find it, or look for Atlantic salmon, though I can’t account for freight miles. Whichever fishy you choose to cure, I’m not going to judge you because we are all friends here. One thing is for sure: you need to start curing the gravlax at least 2 days before you want to eat it.

Beetroot Gravlax

3 small beetroot, peeled
⅓ cup raw/demerara sugar
70g coarse salt
80 ml (⅓ cup) gin or vodka
2 lemons, zested, plus extra wedges, to serve
3 juniper berries crushed, (optional)
1 tsp fennel seeds, crushed
1½ bunches dill, leaves and stems finely chopped, plus extra, chopped, to serve
700-800g side of salmon, skin on, pin-boned

1. To make your curing mixture, grate beetroot, then mix with the sugar, salt, gin or vodka, lemon zest, crushed juniper/fennel seed and dill in a bowl and toss with a fork until combined. Place the salmon, skin-side down, in a large flat dish.

2. Massage the beetroot mixture into the skin, ensuring both sides of the fish are coated. Wrap the fish with clingfilm (I do this twice) then top with another dish and a couple of cans of food whose weight will help to compress the fish. Refrigerate for 2-3 days.

3. During this time you can drain the liquid each day and massage the curing mixture into the skin again, if you want, but it’s not strictly necessary. The fish can keep curing for up to 4 days for a deeper colour - as you like.

4. When you are ready to serve, drain off the liquid and wipe the salmon clean of the mixture. Using your sharpest knife, thinly slice the gravlax on an angle, cutting away skin as you go. Scatter with extra dill and serve with lemon wedges.

NB: Any leftover gravlax can be stored unsliced, wrapped in clingfilm in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. Just keep on slicing and enjoying throughout the season.

Devilled Eggs

It’s better the devilled egg you know. These eggs can be prepared in advance, and are a lovely little lose-yourself activity if, like me, you find it hard to relax…

(Makes 12)

6 eggs at room temperature
3.5 tbsp mayonnaise
1/2 tsp celery salt (or to your taste)
1/2 tsp mustard powder
2 tsp white wine vinegar
2 tsp softened butter
Fresh black pepper
Generous shake paprika (or hot chilli powder if you like them
Generous shake of your favourite vinegary hot sauce
Dill/chives to garnish

1. Boil eggs starting them in cold water for approx 14 minutes (or less if your eggs are small), then plunge them into iced water to cool. You can add a bit of bicarb to the water which makes them easier to peel, if you have it. Otherwise just ensure they're fully cool before you try to peel.

2. Smash eggs against a hard surface to break the shell all over, then peel the eggs and cut in half, wetting your knife between each use to ensure a clean cut. Gently ease out the yolks and put in a bowl. Mash yolks with a fork. Now add all the other ingredients except your herb for garnish and mix thoroughly until the mixture is as smooth as possible. Add a sprinkling of black pepper and taste for seasoning.

3. Using a piping bag or 2 tea spoons, fill each egg white half with the yolk mixture. To garnish, sprinkle gently with paprika and scatter your herb on top. You can also top with a nice slice of pickled chilli if you fancy.

Smoked Mackerel Pâté

This is a 5 minute job but it tastes sensational.

2 smoked mackerel fillets
80g cream cheese (about half a tub)
2 tbsp creme fraiche
1 tsp grated horseradish or horseradish from a jar
Zest and juice of 1/2 a lemon
Dill for garnish

1. Ensure all your ingredients are cold. Blend almost all of the smoked mackerel fillets, half a tub of cream cheese and a couple of large tablespoons of crème fraîche together with a hand blender (do not use a bullet blender).

2. Add horseradish, lemon zest and juice, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir through the remaining chunks of mackerel fillet for a bit of texture. Garnish with dill.

My Favourite Potato Salad

I’ve shared this recipe before but I’m putting it here again so that all the recipes for this spread are in one place!

1 bag new potatoes or baby potatoes
2 red onions
40g butter
Splash of olive oil
1-2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp brown sugar
40g gherkins or cornichons
1-2 tbsp capers, rinsed 
Handful parsley
Handful chives

For dressing

2 tbsp mayo
1 tsp mustard
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp lemon juice/red wine vinegar
Plenty cracked black pepper

1. Get the potatoes on the heat in a pan of salted, cold water. Once boiling, cook for 15-20 minutes until fully tender. 

2. Meanwhile, thinly slice the onions into rings on a mandolin or with a sharp knife. Melt the butter and add a splash of olive oil then add the rings of onion to the pan with a pinch of salt. It’s important to use more than one onion even though it will result in leftovers (OR a very small frying pan) because if there is too much room around your onion it will burn before it caramelises. Cook for 15 minutes. 

3. Drain and set aside your potatoes. Add the brown sugar and the balsamic vinegar to your onions. Stir well and cook on a low heat for 5-10 more minutes until fully soft and sticky. Remove from the heat.

4. Roughly chop the cornichons and the capers (if they are large ones). Roughly chop the herbs removing any large stalks. 

5. Make the dressing. In a small bowl or jar, add the mayo, mustard, olive oil, lemon juice, black pepper and a pinch of salt. Put the lid on and shake or whisk well to form a thick dressing.

6. Once the potatoes have cooled down, toss in the dressing. Then add the herbs, cornichons and capers bit by bit, stirring between additions. Finally, add as much of the caramelised onions as you like. Add in two goes, stirring in between, to make sure it’s well distributed.

Quick Pickled Cucumber and Beetroot

These provide both something sour and crunchy to compliment the fish, but also great colour contrast - you can’t deny it.

1 cucumber
Small bunch beetroot
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
80ml white wine vinegar
100ml boiling water

1. On a mandolin or with a sharp knife, thinly slice the cucumber and place into a small serving bowl.

2. Boil the beetroot (or if by chance you have the oven on, wrap it in tin foil and bake it). When completely tender, peel and quarter it.

3. Make a pickling liquid by mixing the boiling water, vinegar, salt, sugar and mustard seeds. When the beetroot is cool, place it into a small bowl. Pour this over both the beetroot and the sliced cucumber in their separate bowls. You can garnish the cucumber with a little chopped dill if you like.

And that (with the addition of rye bread and butter at the table) is how I make my Christmas Eve Scandinavian dinner. I don’t care that Devilled Eggs are from the USA, they work as part of the feast and you’ll just have to deal with it. I’ll speak to you one more time before Christmas, compadres. Have a great weekend.