Step into the world of Scandinavian culinary traditions with a modern, vibrant twist! Today, we're making Beetroot Gravlax, a visually stunning and incredibly flavorful appetizer. Gravlax, the classic Nordic dish of cured salmon, gets a beautiful crimson makeover from earthy beetroot, which not only stains the fish a gorgeous color but also adds a subtle sweetness. This elegant dish is surprisingly easy to make at home and is perfect for impressing guests at a dinner party or elevating a festive brunch.
Scandinavian fish appetizer — beetroot gravlax
Ingredients for the Scandinavian Fish Appetizer
- 1 pink salmon, 600 g (weight of skin-on fillet)
- 80 g salt
- 25 g granulated sugar
- 170 g beetroot
- 1 bunch of dill
How to Make Scandinavian Fish Appetizer — Beetroot Gravlax
Clean and gut the pink salmon — scrape off the scales, make a through cut along the belly, remove the innards, and cut off the fins and head. Along the backbone, there is a dark line; be sure to clean that out as well.
Rinse the gutted fish thoroughly under cold running water.
Cleaning and gutting the pink salmon
With a sharp knife, run it along the backbone to remove the fillet from the bones, first on one side, then flip the fish over and remove the fillet from the other side.
Use tweezers to remove any remaining bones and trim off the thin belly flaps — this part of the pink salmon can be used for fish stock along with the head and backbone.
As a result, you will have two substantial fillets. Find a container of a suitable size for them. A stainless steel tray or a glass baking dish will work; I opted for the latter.
Removing the fillet from the fish bones
Removing pin bones with tweezers and trimming the belly flaps
The result is two impressive pink salmon fillets
Peel the raw beetroot and grate it on a fine grater or process it in a blender. I think a coarse grater would also work, but I’m used to grating it finely.
Add finely chopped dill to the grated beetroot.
Next, add coarse salt and granulated sugar. Mix the ingredients thoroughly; you will get a watery paste as the salt draws out the juice from the beetroot.
Grating the beetroot on a fine grater
Adding finely chopped dill
add coarse salt, granulated sugar and mix thoroughly
Place the fish fillet skin-side down, and spread the beetroot mixture evenly over the fillet.
Spreading the beetroot mixture over the fillet
You can stack the two fillets together and press them with a weight to help the moisture escape. I don’t do this, as the result is pretty much the same with or without a weight.
Next, wrap the fish in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 48 hours.
Refrigerate the fish for 48 hours
After two days, take the beetroot gravlax (a Scandinavian dish of cured raw fish) out of the refrigerator and scrape off the marinade.
After two days, take the beetroot gravlax out of the refrigerator and scrape off the marinade
Pat the fillet dry with a paper towel and cut it into thin slices. To get thin slices, use a sharp, wide knife and cut at a 45-degree angle.
Pat the fillet dry with a paper towel and cut into thin slices
Arrange the Scandinavian fish appetizer on lettuce leaves and serve.
Arrange the finished Scandinavian fish appetizer on lettuce leaves
And there you have it—your very own homemade Beetroot Gravlax, ready to be the star of your table! Serve these delicate, jewel-toned slices on dark rye bread or blinis with a dollop of crème fraîche or a mustard-dill sauce. It's a taste of Scandinavian elegance that you can proudly say you made yourself. We hope you enjoy this beautiful and delicious appetizer. Don't forget to share your creations with us! Happy cooking!
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