Grilled Salmon Gravlax

Contributed by Jeremy Daniels and Megan Walhood

TOTAL TIME: 25 MIN Plus 36 hours curing
SERVINGS: 6

HEALTHY
MAKE-AHEAD

Megan Walhood and Jeremy Daniels, owners of Portland, Oregon's Viking Soul Food truck, cure salmon with aquavit before grilling it over hardwood charcoal. They serve it with lefse, a Norwegian flatbread made from potatoes.

Slideshow: More Grilled Salmon Recipes More Grilled Salmon Recipes

One 2 1/2-pound whole salmon fillet, with skin
3 tablespoons aquavit
2 1/2 tablespoons light brown sugar
2 tablespoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground coriander seeds
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
Vegetable oil, for rubbing
Horseradish mayonnaise and radish salad, for serving

Set the salmon skin side down on a large rimmed baking sheet and rub with the aquavit. Let stand for 10 minutes. In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, salt, coriander and cardamom. Rub the sugar mixture all over the salmon. Cover and refrigerate for 36 hours.
Light a grill or heat a grill pan. Pat the salmon dry and cut it into 6 portions. Rub the salmon skin and the grill with oil. Grill the fish, skin side down, over moderately high heat until the skin is crisp, about 1 minute. Cover the grill and cook the fish over moderate heat until rare within, about 6 minutes. Serve hot or chilled with horseradish mayonnaise and a radish salad on the side.

Suggested Pairing

Clean, medium-bodied white from Italy.