pumpernickel

I think of making my own gravlax — the Nordic sugar-salt cured salmon — as the gentle, blue-square cooking analog of an intermediate ski trail: It’s mostly easy, but requires some experience. While butchering a whole salmon and cold smoking what you’ve butchered are also exhilarating milestones in the life of an advancing home cook (both a little farther up the mountain and a little steeper on the run down), buying a nice fillet and burying it in salt, sugar and a carpet of chopped fresh dill for a few days is a great confidence-building day on the slopes, so to speak. The cured gravlax will last a solid five days once sliced, in the refrigerator. If a whole side of salmon is more than you need at once, the rest freezes very satisfactorily.

Gravlax

salt

sugar

black pepper

dill

unsalted butter

shallot,

Dijon mustard

Soft dark pumpernickel sandwich bread

Cure the salmon: Lay salmon skin-side down, flesh-side up in a glass or stainless-steel baking dish. (A large lasagna dish works well.) In a small bowl, toss together the salt, sugar and pepper until blended. Sprinkle the mixture over the salmon evenly, with abandon, until fully covered, as if under a blanket of snow. Use all of it.

Spread all the chopped dill on top of the cure-covered salmon to make a thick, grassy carpet.

Lay plastic wrap or parchment paper over the salmon to cover and press down, then place a heavy weight — such as a 2-gallon zip-top bag filled with water — on top, to weigh heavily on the curing fish. Refrigerate just like this, without disturbing, for 5 days, turning the salmon over midway through the cure — on Day 3 — then covering and weighting it again.

To serve, mix together the softened butter, dill, shallot and mustard until well blended.

Remove salmon from the cure, which has now become liquid, brushing off the dill with a paper towel, then set fillet on a cutting board.

With a long, thin, beveled slicing knife tilted toward the horizon, slice salmon thinly, stopping short of cutting through the skin. Generally, you begin slicing a few inches from the tail end and you slice in the direction of the tail, moving your knife back, slice by slice, toward the fatter, wider belly portion of the fillet. The last slices are always hard to get. Once you have shingled the fillet, run your knife between skin and flesh, releasing all the slices, then transfer them to parchment until ready to serve.

Spread the compound butter on bread, then drape sliced gravlax on top, and eat as open-faced sandwiches.

Authentic pumpernickel is a pure rye bread, originally from Westphalia in Germany, made of at least 90% coarsely ground rye flour or wholemeal rye grain.

Pumpernickel Bread

organic rye berries

organic dark rye flour

water

sourdough starter

organic dark rye pumpernickel meal

organic cracked rye

golden syrup

dry-roasted unsalted sunflower seeds

Put the berries in a small saucepan and pour boiling water over them to cover by at least 1 inch (2,5cm). Cover and set aside to soak overnight.

For the levain, mix the rye flour, water and sourdough starter in a small bowl until well combined. Cover and let it rest overnight in a warm place.

(Evening of Day 1)

Add enough water to the soaked rye berries so that there is about three times as much water a berries. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for about 1 hour, or until the berries are soft. Check for water once in a while to make sure the berries are always covered with plenty of water, and add more water if necessary. Drain the cooked berries and set aside to cool.

In a large bowl mix the dark rye pumpernickel meal, cracked rye and salt. Add the levain and 1⅓ cup (300ml) water. Mix until well combined and no traces of flour remain. Add the cooked berries, syrup and sunflower seeds. Knead the dough using the dough hook of an electric mixer or your hands and add the rest of the water during kneading, as needed, until the dough starts to come off the sides of the bowl. The dough should be moist and slightly sticky so it might not come off the sides of the bowl like in other bread doughs, which is fine. Dust with rye flour and cover. Let rest in a warm place for 30 minutes.

Grease 5 (16 oz/450ml) straight-sided canning jars or 2 loaf tins.

Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface to remove any excess air. The dough should be slightly sticky. Divide the dough into equal portions and place it into your baking pans or jars. Leaving about 1 inch (2,5cm) headspace in the jars to allow for the bread to rise (depending on the liveliness of your starter, the dough may or may not rise, mine always does). Only fill the pans to two-thirds to make smaller loaves. Grease small pieces of aluminum foil and cover the jars/baking pans, greased side down. Let rest in a warm place for 2 to 3 hours.

Preheat the oven to 300F/150C. Remove the aluminum foil from the jars/baking pans and lightly spray the surface of the dough with water. Place the aluminum foil back on the jars/baking pans, greased side down. Make sure that the jars/baking pans are tightly covered.

Adjust the oven rack to the lowest setting. Place the jars/baking pans in the casserole and and place it on the oven rack. Pour about 1 inch (2,5cm) hot water into the casserole. Place the lid on the casserole.

Bake for 1 hour at 300F/150C. Reduce the heat to 212F/100C, and bake for 13 more hours. Add hot water to the casserole every few hours to maintain the water level. If you bake the bread overnight, pour more water into the casserole before you go to bed. A higher water level of 1½ to 2 inches (3-5cm) does not harm but an empty dry casserole may cause the jars to crack and should be avoided by all means.

(Day 2)

At the end of the baking time, turn off the oven and leave the casserole in the oven for 1 hour. Then take the casserole with the jars/baking pans out of the oven and let everything cool on the counter for another 30 minutes, or until cool enough to handle. Meanwhile keep the oven door closed to trap the residual heat. Gently unmold the breads (promptly removing them is important, otherwise you will have trouble removing them later) and place them in the warm oven for a couple of hours to dry.

Remove the breads from the oven. Let them cool completely, then wrap them in wax paper or parchment paper and either place them in freezer bags right away, or let the bread sit in a cool place for another two days before cutting it on Day 5. Store the pumpernickel in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

(Day 3)

The curative powers of raw meat are often cited and frequently lampooned — I’m thinking of the guy slumped back in his chair, after the brawl, with a fat raw steak on his mangled black eye. I can’t speak to that, but a hand-chopped mound of cold raw beef, seasoned perfectly, at around 3 o’clock in the afternoon on New Year’s Day, with a cold glass of the hair of the Champagne dog that bit you the night before, will make a new man out of you. The strong-flavored pumpernickel bread is a family nostalgia that has become a beloved preference. The butter and the Vegemite are personal eccentricities I happen to find exceptionally delicious.

Steak Tartare

beef red beef

dense, unleavened black pumpernickel bread

unsalted Irish butter, tempered to cool and spreadable

Vegemite, per your taste

small, firm, shiny red onion,

Coarse kosher salt

capers,

Watercress leaves

Celery leaves from one bunch

Worcestershire sauce

egg yolks, raw,

Place the trimmed beef in the freezer for 20 minutes while you prep the rest of the ingredients. Meanwhile, butter the bread, wall to wall, then slather the mustard evenly among the two buttered slices. Finish each slice with a healthy schmear of the Vegemite.

In a bowl, toss the red onion slices with a healthy pinch of salt, allowing the rings to separate, and soften a bit from the salting. Add the capers with a bit of their brine and the cress, celery leaves and parsley, and toss well, making a little salad.

Working quickly, remove the meat from freezer. It will now be firm and easy to cut. Slice into 1/8-inch-thin slices. (We often wear doubled-up latex gloves to help keep the heat from our hands from transferring to the beef. The warmer the meat, the more difficult to cut beautifully. Also, this is the occasion for your sharpest knife.) Shingle the meat slices ever so slightly, and slice into 1/8-inch matchsticks.

Turn your cutting board 180 degrees, and cut the matchsticks into 1/8-inch tiny dice, resembling the cut called brunoise.

Transfer your elegantly hand-chopped meat to a glass, stainless or ceramic bowl, and season with the Worcestershire sauce, a couple pinches of coarse kosher salt and a few good grinds of black pepper, and toss together distributing the seasoning, using a fork.

Distribute the seasoned beef evenly between the two slices of buttered, seasoned bread, and form into a patty, more or less, still using the fork. Arrange the salad over the beef artfully, distributing evenly between the two portions. Give the whole enterprise a healthy finishing grind of black pepper.

Nestle each yolk, still in its half shell if using raw, into the mound, and let each guest turn the yolk out onto the tartare before eating. If using cooked yolk, microplane the yolk over the tartare to finish.

Melissa Clark came up with this recipe in 2011, a sandwich for her daughter, against the one she made for herself with Branston pickle in place of the marmalade. (Branston pickle is a British pickled chutney, made with vegetables, that dates back to the early 20th century.) You can certainly make the grown-up version. But this sweet, salty, cool variety is close to perfect for lunch or a light dinner.

Cheddar, Cucumber and Marmalade Sandwiches

pumpernickel bread

butter, softened

orange marmalade

Cheddar or Gruyère or Swiss cheese

cucumber

Spread the bread slices with butter and then a very thin layer of marmalade. Top 4 slices with cheese and cucumber and then with the remaining bread.

Curtis Stone's delectable little open sandwiches are perfect for any occasion, especially for Christmas canapes.

Smoked salmon tartines with red onion-caper relish

165.00 ml finely diced red onion

82.50 ml drained Brand Baby Capers

lemon juice

20.00 ml chopped fresh dill

tsp yellow mustard seeds

cream cheese,

82.50 gm creme fraiche

62.50 ml chopped fresh chives

pumpernickel bread, toasted

thinly sliced smoked salmon

lemon

Simply fill hollowed-out pumpernickel rolls with our Spinach Artichoke & Parmesan Dip (then bake until warm), everybody will enjoy their very own personal bread bowl. Another delicious idea from our friends at Foxes Loves Lemons

Spinach Dip in Mini Pumpernickel Bowls

pumpernickel dinner rolls

chives, chopped

vegetables peas

Using a small serrated knife, slice tops off rolls and hollow out gently. Reserve tops for serving. Place bread bowls on rimmed baking pan and divide dip between bowls (about 2 tablespoons in each bowl).

Bake 8 &#8211; 10 minutes or until dip is warmed through. Sprinkle bowls with chives and serve with vegetables and reserved roll tops.

Chef&#8217;s note: Can&#8217;t find pumpernickel rolls at your store? Try this with whole wheat rolls, or even with pretzel slider buns!

Find more delicious recipes by visiting Foxes Love Lemons.

This easy and flavorful Pumpernickel Spinach Dip is made with a few simple ingredients, is quick to whip up and is perfect for your next party, game day or potluck. The best part is this delicious dip is served in an edible bowl!

📋 Pumpernickel Spinach Dip Recipe

sour cream

Hellman's 1/2 the fat mayonnaise

oz -pkg of frozen chopped spinach

-pkg of Knorr vegetable soup mix

round (unsliced) loaf of pumpernickel bread

Defrost frozen spinach and drain well (squeeze out excess liquid with a large spoon, pressing through a sieve or with  hands)

Combine drained spinach, sour cream and soup mix.

Mix well.

Store in the fridge (covere) for at least 6 hours.

Cut into the top of the round loaf, in a circle.

Remove the center of the loaf.

Cut the pieces you removed into squares for serving and place those bread cubes around the loaf.Once the dip has been refrigerated for 6 hours, fill the bread with the dip. Garnish with a little grated carrot or green onions,  if desired.

This Pumpernickel Spinach Dip is my Auntie Carol's recipe, and it's hands down the best spinach dip I've ever had. After trying so many bland versions over the years, I'd forgotten how amazing spinach dip could be until she brought this to our last family gathering. Serving it in a pumpernickel bread bowl takes it to another level - there's nothing like watching everyone dig in, using the bread chunks for dipping and then tearing into the bowl itself when those run out!

Ginger cured salmon gravlax

Salt

g Fresh ginger, grated

Sugar

side Salmon, skin on, bones out

Tbsp Olive oil

Cucumbers,

Chives,

Edible flowers

Mix ginger, salt and sugar together in a bowl. On a large tray lay down a long piece of foil, sprinkle half the mix on and place the salmon on top with the skin side facing down.

Sprinkle remaining mix over salmon and fold foil over to seal. Place in fridge for 24 hours.

Gently wash off cure under cold running water and pat dry with paper towels.

Using a long-bladed knife, cut thin slices of salmon and arrange on a presentation platter.

Cover with plastic food wrap and refrigerate.

To serve, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle over cucumber, chives and edible flowers.

Gravlax With Herb Butter

NYT Cooking

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Sarah Anne Ward for The New York Times. Food stylist: Frances Boswell. Prop stylist: Amy Elise Wilson. 

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Was not totally sure about the recipe going into it. Love smoked fish, sushi, and poke but this was not for me. The texture of the fish did not change enough for me. Follow the instructions and looked at other recipes online. I do not think it was for me, the texture through me off of it.

Mix about one cup of blanco tequila with the salt, sugar and pepper mixture. It helps everything stick to the fish, taste delicious, and makes for a cool description of the curing process.

Weight is important.  A third to half the sugar called for. Farmed salmon is hard to kill in a recipe but 5 days, unless the filet is really thick, is too long for me; 72 hours is about right.  Also, there are no undesired bits of fat or flesh; they’re all good.  Don’t fuss about the pin bones; it’s good calcium. If you really have Alaska king salmon, just cook it instead of curing it.

Anne,
As well, my Gravlax recipe requires vodka too. I also think that plenty of dill is a must!!! I even like to add capers and sometimes goat cheese and tapenade.

My gravlax recipe is from a dear Swedish friend. I use half the amount of sugar as salt, add a bit of vodka, and definitely weigh down the filets, flipping top to bottom, front to back. It is cured in two days. Five days is simply too long. It is wonderful as the Swedes serve it - but it’s also great on a bagel (preferably pumpernickel) with whipped cream cheese, dill, and slivered red onions!

I have wanted to make this for a long time. I think I am ready , however, I recently read that you should freeze your salmon and then defrost before curing (food safety). Is this true? Is purchasing previously frozen salmon o.k.?

I made this during Covid. It takes about 5 days to cure. You don't need the shallots, and you really don't need the most expensive salmon. The result was so much better than store bought lox that it defies description. A good knife for slicing very thin on the diagonal is essential to get the best of this gravlox.

From now on, I want all recipes to be as poetic as Gabrielle Hamilton’s recipe for gravlax.

Tried this as directed. Really liked it.  I actually preferred the longer 5 day cure.  Some here have noted a shorter time. That was also Ok,  but if you want a cured flavor a longer time (as in the recipe) was delicious.  I added fennel - it ended up very strong. Next time would do without that and maybe lemon zest.

made a second time.  used half sugar, a third or less the dill.
cut filet in half, place inside 1 gallon ziplock skin sides together, turn every day - so easy.
happy with the results. comments included salty, and strong dill flavor. will adjust accordingly.

My father’s go to recipe: mix equal parts sugar, salt and liquid smoke. For a full side, I’ve use about 3T each. Rub on both sides of salmon. Place salmon in Sunday NY Times bag (alas I live in a rural area and only get digital version so I use a large ziplock bag). Refrigerate for 7 days flipping daily. When done, if desired, cut into smaller sections and freeze. Pull out night before and in the morning, slice thinly and enjoy.

The classic version calls for a couple of shots of Aquavit as part of the cure.  The classic accompaniment is ice cold beer and  even colder shots of Aquavit, but a good sparkling wine or Champagne or good Riesling work well, too.

Made this twice, with two different curing times (and with added gin).  First time:  2 1/2 days of curing was divine and silky.  Second time: recommended five days of curing was coarser, but not rough, but much like tasting a salt lick!  2 1/2 days it is!

I went four days, and the edges were definitely getting tough (consistency of dried apricot), but the middle is FANTASTIC. Totally recommended.

I failed to properly note when to flip the salmon. As a result, I've flipped it on day 4. Does anyone have a recommendation on whether I should stop the curing at 5 days (only 1 day flesh down), or whether I should cure it an extra day to be more balanced? Thanks!

I’ve been making gravlax for 40 years and I have found 2 days is plenty long for curing. Longer than that and your salmon gets glassy and tough and loses its fresh taste and soft texture. BUT I also use extremely fresh salmon and lay two fillets face to face after coating each with salt and sugar, then weight it. Drain fluid off every eight hours or so. Boy, I love the suggestion to add whiskey or shiso.  Can’t wait for next summer’s catch!

From now on I think every recipe should include "fat and gorgeous" in the ingredients.

Two pieces of salmon in a zip lock bag with the skins against each other and the flesh to the outside, comes out well.  Instead of weighing it down, you just turn the bag over every day as it cures.

The liquid from the bag is great for curing chopped onions.

From an old Joyce Goldstein cookbook: sprinkle the dill with a couple of TBS Acquavit (good) or scotch whisky (better) at the end of step 2, which adds a nice extra taste touch + alcohol dissolves both fat-soluble and water-soluble flavors (why pasta alla vodka works so well) and helps them penetrate the salmon during the cure. Also, I have seen but not tried a “Japanese Gravlax” recipe using Shisho leaves instead of dill, which is intriguing.

for whatever reason, reading this recipe was an extreme delight. 

"Sprinkle the mixture over the salmon evenly, with abandon, until fully covered, as if under a blanket of snow. Use all of it."

yes, for sure, gladly.

I've been making gravlax for years but prefer much less sugar. A little aquavit works just as well.

Freeze the salmon for 3 days at –18'C to kill any parasites. Then cure for no more than 2 days to get a succulent salmon, much less salty and dry than if you cure it for longer. Try various alternatives to dill, e.g. juniper berries and pink/rose pepper + a glass of gin (for the end of the year holidays), or fresh ginger and chili (for an Asian touch).

I, too, have been making gravlax for years and, like you, use less sugar; I use a 2:1 ratio of salt to sugar.

Ive been making it for years..recipe from famous chef-guy on Vancouver Island. His is similar but u also add 2 tbsp of sake or sherry or even vodka. But never for 5 days..that wud turn it into a hard texture. I do mine overnight and the next day it is perfect..shiny an slippery an cured.

After pulling worms or whatever from a fresh salmon filet I always buy fresh frozen filets.  My mother is swedish and I know how to make gravlax. I have used both fresh and frozen Pacific salmon and scottish salmon.  Even the FDA recommends using frozen salmon just to kill anything that may still be alive in your filet.  Google salmon parasites.  Freezing it kils those nasty critters.  And freezing has not affected the taste nor texture of my gravlax.

I've been making gravlax since working in Sweden in the 1980s.  To the recipe above, you can crush some juniper berries and a couple of table spoons of gin.  Or you can add some lemon and orange zest which also enhances the salmon.  I always make a double recipe and freeze half for another occasion.  The Swedes serve with wasabrodt (big round hard crackers) and the traditional dill sauce.

I've made this for years.  My recipe doesn't have pepper but does have red onion. The dill and onion are sandwiched between the two pieces of salmon, flesh side together.  It is weighted and flipped periodically over a 48 hour period. All through the house can be heard - "Did you flip the lox?"  We make  about 10 pounds for our annual New Years Day brunch which has about 80 people. We never have enough left for our bagels the next day.

I have made gravlax with king salmon lots but never cured it for 5 days. 2 1/2 days is plenty. For Atlantic salmon which is fattier, 3 1/2 days is enough cure. I also wrap the fish in Saran Wrap, poke holes in the dishes for the brine to drain and turn it twice a day.

I was introduced to gravlax by a Swedish friend and cook extraordinaire.   Her recipe is almost identical except it uses white pepper instead of black.  Also, the gravlax is ready to eat after 24 to 48 hours in the salt/sugar brine.  I have never cured it for 5 days. I turn it the filet  once in the middle of the time.  Also, gravlax is classically served with a mustard sauce:  equal parts yellow mustard, sugar, oil.  Mix mustard and sugar, beat in oil in a stream, add a lot of cut fresh dill.

Been making gravlax for decades. Some tips: 1. Use brick(s) wrapped in foil as weights. 2. I ALWAYS use brown sugar, not white. Salt sugar ratio is a matter of preference. 3. A blend of coarse, cracked black, white & red peppercorns yields superior flavor results. 4. Three days is sufficient cure time. No discernible difference at day five. 5. If you have wild fennel growing around, lay some young fronds on with the dill. If not, add crushed fennel seed to peppercorn mix. Chill the vodka. Enjoy.

Putting dill on the fish first and  then salt and sugar on top (much less sugar is good too) and this during 18 hours is  enough time and keeps the fish's flavor optimal.

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Gravlax

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Top 10 pumpernickel recipes from across the web

The most viewed pumpernickel recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

Top Tags

Gravlax

Pumpernickel Bread

Steak Tartare

Cheddar, Cucumber and Marmalade San...

Pumpernickel Bread

Smoked salmon tartines with red oni...

Spinach Dip in Mini Pumpernickel Bo...

📋 Pumpernickel Spinach Dip Recipe

Ginger cured salmon gravlax

Gravlax With Herb Butter

The most viewed pumpernickel recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine