Best 8 Star Anise Gravlax Recipes

VINCENT HODGINS'S MOROCCAN SPICED GRAVLAX

Steps:

• Place the fennel, anise, caraway, coriander, cumin, clove and cardamom in a dry skillet, and toast over medium heat, shaking the pan frequently, until the mixture is aromatic, 1 to 2 minutes. Grind all the spices together, then mix with the cinnamon, sugar, salt and pepper. Place the salmon, skin side down, on a large sheet of plastic wrap. Cover the flesh side of the salmon with the spice mixture, making sure to coat it completely.
• Wrap the fish well, and refrigerate for 48 hours.
• Unwrap salmon, and rinse off the cure. Dry, then slice on the bias (see illustration). Serve plain or with lemon wedges, creme fraiche, sour cream or a light vinaigrette.

GRAVLAX

Steps:

• Rinse the fillets in cold water and pat them dry with paper towels.
• Crush the caraway seeds, aniseed, juniper berries, red pepper flakes, and black peppercorns using a mortar and pestle.
• Or place the spices on a cutting board or other hard surface and crush them with the underside of a heavy skillet.
• Combine with the salt, sugar, and dill.
• Place one of the fillets skin side down in a deep ceramic dish just big enough to hold the fillets.
• Rub the fillet with half the spice and dill mixture.
• Rub the other fillet with the remaining mixture and place it skin side up on top of the first, creating a salmon'sandwich' with all the spices and dill in-between.
• Pour the aquavit on top, cover the dish with plastic wrap, and place a heavy weight, such as two heavy plates or a saucepan, on top of the fish.
• Refrigerate for 3 to 4 days, turning the fish every 12 hours and basting it with the brine that accumulates in the dish.
• To serve, dust off some of the spices and slice the fish into thin slices, on the diagonal- the way they cut smoked salmon, with a sharp thin knife.
• Serve with mustard sauce and dark rye bread, for open-faced sandwiches, or with mustard, pickles, and capers.

GRAVLAX

Steps:

• Mix together the salt, sugar and dill. Place the salmon, skin side down, on a large sheet of plastic wrap. Cover the flesh side of the salmon with the salt mixture, making sure to coat it completely. (There will be lots of salt mix; just pile it on.)
• Wrap the fish well. If the temperature is below 70 degrees, and it is not too inconvenient, let it rest outside the refrigerator for about 6 hours, then refrigerate for 18 to 24 hours more. Otherwise, refrigerate immediately for about 36 hours.
• Unwrap the salmon, and rinse off the cure. Dry, then slice on the bias. Serve plain or with lemon wedges, creme fraiche, sour cream or a light vinaigrette.

CITRUS-CURED SALMON GRAVADLAX

Steps:

• Tip all the ingredients for the salt mix into a food processor and whizz until everything is combined and the spices are completely ground.
• Stroke your hand along the salmon fillet to check for any stray bones. If you find any, pull them out with a pair of tweezers or small pliers.
• To skin the salmon fillet, lay the fish skin-side down with the tail end closest to you. Insert your knife at an angle at the tail end and cut through the flesh to the skin. Turn the blade so it's almost flat against the skin, then take hold of the skin with the other hand. Pull and wiggle the skin towards you so as to cut the fillet away. Halfway through removing the skin, hold the knife firmly and flip the fillet over. Gently lift the fillet away from the skin and discard the skin. Trim away the thinner part, plus any fat around the edges, so that the fillet has an even shape.
• Scatter about a third of the salt mix onto a large tray in a line about the size of the salmon fillet. Lay the salmon, skinned-side down, over the salt and pack the rest of the salt on top. Cover with cling film, put another tray on top and weigh it down with a few cans or an empty casserole dish. Leave in the fridge overnight or for at least 10 hrs.
• Under cold running water, wash the salt mix off the salmon fillet, then dry with kitchen paper. Finely chop the dill. Lay the salmon on a board and cover with the dill, pressing it down to pack it onto the salmon.
• If serving as a plated starter, use a sharp carving knife to cut the salmon straight down into fine slices, allowing 6 slices for each plate.
• To make the horseradish cream, whisk together the cream and crème fraîche. Add the horseradish, lemon juice and seasoning, then continue to whisk until thick. Dress the salad leaves in a little olive oil. You are now ready to plate up.
• Arrange a neat pile of baby salad leaves in the centre of each plate. Curl slices of the salmon into bow shapes around the leaves. Continue all the way around the plate in a petal fashion. Use 2 teaspoons to make small quenelles of horseradish cream and spoon each into each bowl.

GRAVLAX

Steps:

• Place salmon fillets on a parchment-lined work surface. Remove any remaining bones from fillets. In a medium bowl, mix together anise seeds, caraway seeds, pepper, sugar, and salt.
• Place one fillet in a large glass or enamel pan. Cover with spice mixture. Spread dill on top of spices, then pour vodka or other liquor on top of dill. Place second fillet on top of the first, in the opposite direction (head to tail).
• Cover entire pan tightly with plastic wrap. Place a heavy object, such as a book or brick, into a smaller pan. Lay pan on top of fish to weigh it down, and place both pans in refrigerator.
• After 12 hours, remove fish from the pan, turn it over, and rewrap tightly with new plastic wrap. Replace weighted pan on top of fish. Continue to refrigerate for 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 more days, turning fish over every 12 hours.
• After 4 days, remove fish from refrigerator, unwrap, and transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Remove top fillet, and scrape dill and spices from the surface of both fillets.
• To serve, slice each fillet on the diagonal into thin pieces.

JULIA CHILD'S TRADITIONAL GRAVLAX

Steps:

• Trim the salmon fillet, cutting away any thin uneven edges and the thin end of the tail (which can be reserved for something else).
• Make sure all the pinbones are removed--run your fingers up the fillet; if you feel any bones, remove them with a tweezer or a needle-nosed plier.
• Cut the fillet in half crosswise so that you have two pieces of the same length and roughly the same width.
• Mix the salt and sugar together.
• Sprinkle half the mixture over each fillet and rub it in with your fingers.
• Place one fillet in a glass (or other non-reactive) baking dish big enough to hold it.
• Drizzle about two tablespoons of cognac over each half, rubbing it in with your fingers.
• Spread the dill over the salmon half in the baking dish.
• Lay the other half fillet on top (skin side up).
• Align the two halves.
• Cover closely with a sheet of plastic wrap.
• Place a board or pan on top of the fillets.
• Make sure it is resting on the fish and not on the sides of the baking dish.
• Weight the top with something heavy (a large can of tomatoes for example).
• Place in refrigerator.
• After one day of curing, remove weights and board and turn fillets over(so the top fillet is now on the bottom) and baste with the liquid that has accumulated in the dish.
• Replace weights and board and return to frig.
• On the second day, turn and baste again and slice off a tiny piece to taste.
• If it doesn't taste like it's getting there, add a little more salt and/or cognac on the fish.
• Return to the fridge.
• Cure for a third day, turn and baste again.
• On the fourth day, you can serve the gravlax.
• To serve, clean the dill away and wipe the fish dry with paper towels.
• Use a long thin-bladed slicing knife (sharpened) and start slicing a few inches from the narrow end of the fillet.
• Cut with a back and forth sawing motion toward the narrow end to remove a thin slice of fish.
• Start each succeeding slice a bit farther in from the narrow end; always cut at a flat angle to keep the slices as long and thin as possible.

GRAVADLAX

Steps:

• Pat the salmon dry with kitchen paper and run your hands over the flesh to see if there are any stray small bones - if there are, use a pair of tweezers to pull them out. Set the salmon fillets aside.
• Tip the salt, sugar, peppercorns, lemon zest, juniper and dill into a food processor and blitz until you have a bright green, wet salt mixture or 'cure'. Unravel some cling film but keep it attached to the roll. Lay the first fillet of salmon skin-side down and then pack the cure over the flesh. Drizzle with gin, if using and top with the 2nd fillet, flesh-side down. Roll the sandwiched fillets tightly in cling film to create a package.
• Place the fish in a shallow baking dish or shallow-sided tray and lay another tray on top. Weigh the tray down with a couple of tins or bottles and place in the fridge for at least 48 hrs or up to 4 days, turning the fish over every 12 hours or so. The longer you leave it, the more cured it will become.
• To make the sauce, tip all the sauce ingredients into a blender. Blitz until you have a thickened dressing.
• To serve, unwrap the fish and brush off the marinade with kitchen paper. Rinse it if you like. You can slice the fish classically into long thin slices, leaving the skin behind, or remove the skin it and slice it straight down. Serve the sliced fish on a large platter or individual plates with pumpernickel bread, dill and mustard sauce.

STAR ANISE GRAVLAX

Steps:

• Combine sugar, salt, star anise, and peppercorns in a spice grinder or mortar and pestle and grind until spices are well crushed. Rub fish well with the mixture.
• Arrange chopped fennel leaves, lemon slices, and any leftover seasonings in a glass baking dish large enough to hold the fish flat. Sprinkle flesh side of fish with vodka and lay in dish, skin side up.
• Cover fish with plastic wrap and place a wooden cutting board on top. Weight with cans. Cure in refrigerator for 2 to 3 days. Fish should look opaque when done.
• Remove fish from baking dish and brush off seasonings. Serve immediately, or rewrap and refrigerate for 1 to 2 days.
• To serve, slice very thinly on an angle down to skin. To assemble hors d'oeuvres, top each cracker with a slice of gravlax, a slice of fennel, some fennel leaves, and a sprinkling of sesame seeds.