Fennel-Cured Halibut Gravlax

Like salmon, the usual choice for this Swedish delicacy, cured halibut is delicious. For food safety, it's best to use thawed frozen-at-sea (FAS) halibut. Depending on the size of the fillets, you may use two to five pieces. Don't use one large fillet, as the salt cure will not seep evenly throughout the fish. Slice the gravlax into paper-thin strips with a thin, sharp knife, angling the blade for wider slices. Serve as an appetizer with rye or pumpernickel toasts and cream cheese. Garnish with dill sprigs.

Yield: 12 servings (serving size: about 2 1/2 ounces)

Ingredients

• 1/3  cup  coarse sea salt
• 1/3  cup  sugar
• 1/3  cup  chopped fennel fronds
• 1/4  cup  olive oil
• 1  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper
• 2  pounds  halibut fillets, skinned
• 3  tablespoons  finely chopped fresh dill

Preparation

1. Combine the first 5 ingredients in a food processor, and process until finely ground.

2. Arrange fish in a single layer in a 13 x 9–inch baking dish. Rub salt mixture evenly over surface of fish. Cover and refrigerate fish for 24 hours.

3. Rinse fish thoroughly under cold water; pat dry. Pat dill onto fish. Cut fish into 1/16–inch slices. Store in an airtight container in refrigerator up to 3 days.

Wine note: Gravlax is fantastic with a wine that's beginning to make a big splash in the States—grüner veltliner. The most famous white wine of Austria, grüner veltliner is fresh, clean, crisp, and slightly peppery, giving it the right bite to balance cured fish. A terrific choice is the 2007 Nigl Grüner Veltliner Kremser Freiheit from the Wachau region of Austria ($20). —Karen MacNeil

Nutritional Information

Calories:

95 (22% from fat)

Fat:

2.3g (sat 0.3g,mono 1.1g,poly 0.6g)

Protein:

14.8g

Carbohydrate:

2.8g

Fiber:

0.0g

Cholesterol:

23mg

Iron:

0.6mg

Sodium:

631mg

Calcium:

34mg