Gravlax

Ingredients

• 1 to 2 pounds salmon fillet sliced into equal pieces
• 1/4 cup kosher salt
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon of cracked black pepper
• 1 bunch of dill
• a splash or two of alcohol-- vodka or brandy works well

Instructions

1. 1
   Remove pin bones, if any, from salmon with needle nose pliers or tweezers.
2. 2
   In a small bowl, combine salt, sugar, and pepper.
3. 3
   Rub both sides of salmon fillets with salt and sugar mixture. My salt and sugar, when preparing my mise en place for this blog looked very much like a granulated Maidenform bra when poured.
4. 4
   Spread remaining sugar and salt mixture onto the pink, fleshy side of the fillets and sprinkle with your booze of choice, but not too much.
5. 5
   Lay dill more or less evenly over one of the fillets. I like to crush it in my hands to release the essential oils. Place the second fillet on top of it to form a sandwich, with the salmon acting as the bread. If this is difficult for you to follow, I don't want to know you.
6. 6
   Place your "sandwich in an appropriately-sized freezer bag, removing as much air as possible. Close the bag.
7. 7
   Place your package in a shallow baking dish or pan and place a weight evenly over it. There is much disagreement about this step. Some people like 5-to-8 pounds of weight, others, none at all. Weighing down the salmon produces a denser finished (or Finnish, in this case) product. I decided to go for something lightweight in both the literal and literary sense.
8. 8
   Refrigerate for 2 to 3 days, turning the salmon every 12 hours or so.
9. 9
   After the appropriate amount of time, take salmon out of the bag, scrap off most of the dill and pat dry with paper towels. Once cured, the gravlax should stay "fresh", or at least, good, for a week, if refrigerated and well-wrapped.