# Gravalax - Jamie Oliver



## dirtsailor2003 (Oct 11, 2015)

I was watching Jamie's Food Escapes today and he made gravalax. His recipe used grated beets and horseradish. The color the salmon from the beets was incredible. All in all it looked like a good recipe to try.

The recipe can be found here:

http://www.jamieoliver.com/magazine/recipes-view.php?title=gorgeous-beetroot-gravadlax


----------



## cmayna (Oct 11, 2015)

Wonder if the beet gives it a unique flavor.  Hopefully not since I don't like beets.  But that color is pretty awesome.  Can you imagine that Gravlax cold smoked?    Hmmmmm,  maybe I see it happening here soon, especially with some of my pale colored early season Salmon.


----------



## dirtsailor2003 (Oct 11, 2015)

He didn't mention anything about the beets flavoring the fish. He did mention the kick from the horseradish, which had me intrigued. A bit of smoke would be tasty. I'll be watching for your thread Craig!


----------



## daveomak (Oct 11, 2015)

I've heard of "unscrupulous" fish mongers using beet juice to dye farmed Atlantic salmon to pass it off as sockeye...    In the Safeway here, Atlantic salmon packages have "dye added" on the package....


----------



## cmayna (Oct 16, 2015)

Case, Getting all my ducks in line to start this recipe. Trying to find the horseradish root aand that demerara sugar was a bear.  Hope to start it this weekend after I go fishing.

Craig


----------



## dirtsailor2003 (Oct 16, 2015)

Sounds good Craig, I'll be looking for your thread. Hitseradish root is all over here, not sure about the sugar. I wonder if raw it other sugar would work too.


----------



## cmayna (Oct 16, 2015)

OMG!  Check out this youtube.  Guess who?


----------



## dirtsailor2003 (Oct 17, 2015)

cmayna said:


> OMG!  Check out this youtube.  Guess who?




Yep that's it! Looks tasty doesn't it!


----------



## hdbrs (Oct 17, 2015)

I loved watching jamie at home on the food channel when he was on. I'll have to start searching youtube for his videos I guess. Just really like his simple style


----------



## dirtsailor2003 (Oct 17, 2015)

hdbrs said:


> I loved watching jamie at home on the food channel when he was on. I'll have to start searching youtube for his videos I guess. Just really like his simple style



The show I mentioned in the original post was on the travel channel


----------



## dirtsailor2003 (Oct 21, 2015)

Craig I have been doing a bunch of reading and from what I gather is if you can't find the demerara sugar, turbinado sugar, would be suitable substitute. Even brown sugar could be used, but would probably give a bit of a different taste. I found a good hunk of salmon that wasn't super spendy so I think that I will give this a go. I might cold smoke half of it just for fun.


----------



## cmayna (Oct 21, 2015)

Found it at wholefoods.  Here's an update:


Salt/sugar mix with finely grated horseradish root and coarsely grated beet root.  Then I laid the Salmon tail skin side down on the mix followed by the same stuff on the meat followed with lots of fresh dill, lemon zest, etc.














Saran wrapped and into a quart ziplok bag to help contain the juices.   Mr. Brick to help keep pressure.  Has sat this way for two days in the fridge.







Removed and cleaned off the very stainable beets stuff (wear latex gloves).  Sprinkled some dry dill on.  Currently air drying in the fridge.  Hope to cold smoke this afternoon.   Pretty wild color!












Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## dirtsailor2003 (Oct 21, 2015)

cmayna said:


> Found it at wholefoods. Here's an update:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Wow that color looks like the salmon eggs when you cure them for fishing! Crazy bright! Have you tasted it yet?


----------



## cmayna (Oct 21, 2015)

Haven't drank enough beer yet to obain enough liquid courage to taste it.  Will do probably tomorrow after I cold smoke it tonight.......unless I go fishing tomorrow.


----------



## dirtsailor2003 (Oct 21, 2015)

cmayna said:


> Haven't drank enough beer yet to obain enough liquid courage to taste it.  Will do probably tomorrow after I cold smoke it tonight.......unless I go fishing tomorrow.



Ha! I figured with the vodka or schnapps it wouldn't need any other liquid courage!


----------



## tropics (Oct 21, 2015)

This is interesting


----------



## cmayna (Oct 21, 2015)

Wholefoods also had the fresh horseradish roots as well.   I have a feeling that a little bit will go a long long way.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## cmayna (Oct 21, 2015)

Watching the cold smoker in the backyard with my belkin netcam while I'm doing yard work in the front yard







Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## dirtsailor2003 (Oct 21, 2015)

When I lived at the coast the creek that ran through my property had horseradish root in it. We used it fresh my neighbor jarred it in vinegar. It does go along ways but it is tasty! 

So here's mine. If all the things horseradish root is easy for me to find. All the stores here have it. The sugar no one has so I used turbinado. Dill, it took some hunting but I finally found it. 













image.jpeg



__ dirtsailor2003
__ Oct 21, 2015






I cut this guy in half. We will have the tail end for dinner tonight. Wild Coho Salmon.













image.jpeg



__ dirtsailor2003
__ Oct 21, 2015






Yes I have purple hands! 













image.jpeg



__ dirtsailor2003
__ Oct 21, 2015






All wrapped and weighted down. This will come out Friday night. I will cut it half and cold smoke half with alder.


----------



## cmayna (Oct 22, 2015)

Looks good Case.  Plan to slice mine up tomorrow night, to have some munchies foods for Saturday's fishing trip.


----------



## dirtsailor2003 (Oct 22, 2015)

Mine will be ready to pull out of the brine tomorrow night. I'm going to cut the slab in half and cold smoke one chunk, alder.


----------



## foamheart (Oct 22, 2015)

cmayna said:


> Wholefoods also had the fresh horseradish roots as well. I have a feeling that a little bit will go a long long way.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


FYI, I have grown horseradish in the past, oddly enough they start off mild and the longer you leave 'em in the crisper, the hotter they get. Its like they intensify. Fresh gives the mildest taste.


----------



## dirtsailor2003 (Oct 23, 2015)

Foamheart said:


> FYI, I have grown horseradish in the past, oddly enough they start off mild and the longer you leave 'em in the crisper, the hotter they get. Its like they intensify. Fresh gives the mildest taste.



I guess the stuff we grow out  here on the Left  coast is a bit different. The small stuff is mild and the longer it grows and the bigger it gets, the hotter it gets. 
 1 1/2"-2" around is pretty damn potent and goes great with any cut of beef. The smaller stuff that last old like carrot size the kids picked out of the creek and ate.


----------



## wade (Oct 23, 2015)

cmayna said:


> Wonder if the beet gives it a unique flavor.  Hopefully not since I don't like beets.  But that color is pretty awesome.  Can you imagine that Gravlax cold smoked?    Hmmmmm,  maybe I see it happening here soon, especially with some of my pale colored early season Salmon.


You do get a little flavour from the beet if you are sensitive to it but most is hidden by the horseradish and herbs. If you don't like the flavour of the beet then you can always use a little beetroot powder instead for the same effect.


----------



## cmayna (Oct 23, 2015)

This afternoon, I'll be slicing it up.  I sure hope it taste good but honestly don't expect too much, just due to the color and hoseradish.  Having a real issue with that. LOL.  Maybe I can use it for some bait during tomorrow's fishing trip.


----------



## cmayna (Oct 23, 2015)

Way too salty for my tatse buds.  Glad I only did one piece.  Hopefully it will make some good Salmon bait.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## dirtsailor2003 (Oct 23, 2015)

image.jpeg



__ dirtsailor2003
__ Oct 23, 2015






Just pulled mine. Yeah way to salty almost to the point of lutefisk if it works for bait let me know! Holy crap I need another three beers or so! I only ate a tiny little chunk!


----------



## wade (Oct 24, 2015)

From looking at the video, I was surprised that he only wipes off the salt with a paper towel after it has cured. When I have done similar in the past I always rinse it well under a running tap to wash off all the residual surface salt. Maybe this might help.


----------



## cmayna (Oct 24, 2015)

Wade,
I also thought that was wierd so I did rinse mine really well after scraping off the stuff.  Still way too salty for me.

Here's a pic of it partially sliced.. While cutting it up I couldn't help myself by quietly singing to myself Michael Jackson's song......
"Just Beet it,  Beet it" [emoji]128526[/emoji]

How rare do you like your lox?








Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## foamheart (Oct 24, 2015)

cmayna said:


> Wade,
> I also thought that was wierd so I did rinse mine really well after scraping off the stuff. Still way too salty for me.
> 
> Here's a pic of it partially sliced.. While cutting it up I couldn't help myself by quietly singing to myself Michael Jackson's song......
> ...


So, now that you've made it and tasted it, can you taste the beets??


----------



## cmayna (Oct 24, 2015)

Actually the beet flavor itself was pretty quiet.  That darn salt dominated everything.   I might consider adding some beet to another lox recipe I like to do.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## dirtsailor2003 (Oct 24, 2015)

I also rinsed mine. I also weighed the hunk of fish and adjusted the salt and sugar accordingly.


----------



## atomicsmoke (Oct 24, 2015)

Haven't watched the video....does JOs method call for more salt than your recipes?


----------



## atomicsmoke (Oct 24, 2015)

Hope the sushi chefs don't know about this...otherwise we won't be able to trust that tuna sashimi anymore.


----------



## dirtsailor2003 (Oct 24, 2015)

atomicsmoke said:


> Haven't watched the video....does JOs method call for more salt than your recipes?



His recipe calls out the approx weight of the fish fillet, and gives the salt in grams. I did the math and figured out how many grams of salt for the weight of my fillet. tue ratio I used was based on his recipe.


----------



## daveomak (Oct 24, 2015)

WOW !!!  no wonder it was salty....  His recipe calls for 11.4% salt....    I weigh the salt for my lox and add 2%.....


----------



## atomicsmoke (Oct 24, 2015)

I guess we can just use our own ratios and add the beet and horseradish. I will make this.


----------



## dirtsailor2003 (Oct 24, 2015)

DaveOmak said:


> WOW !!!  no wonder it was salty....  His recipe calls for 11.4% salt....    I weigh the salt for my lox and add 2%.....



Potent stuff! I didn't even consider the recipe would be bad. My mom did mention when she was traveling Sweden, Switzerland, Latvia that the lox and smoked fish were very salty. 

I still am contemplating a soak then smoke. Probably wouldn't help...


----------



## daveomak (Oct 24, 2015)

dirtsailor2003 said:


> DaveOmak said:
> 
> 
> > WOW !!!  no wonder it was salty....  His recipe calls for 11.4% salt....    I weigh the salt for my lox and add 2%.....
> ...



bbally's recipe soaks the lox... I've used his recipe and it's really good..


----------

