Gravlax

Suggested wine: Chablis; pinot gris; sauvignon blanc

One of the most delicate and least-embellished salmon preparations is gravlax, a Scandinavian specialty in which the fish is cured by means of a salt and sugar rub. No cooking is involved. I like to think of this paper-thin sliced raw fish as one step beyond Japanese sashimi. Typically, gravlax is seasoned with fresh dill, a brandy such as Cognac, and spruce sprigs. Not everyone has a spruce tree growing in his or her yard, including me, so I’ve decided to re-create that woodsy flavor by including gin in my recipe. The gin’s mild juniper berry flavor is a lovely accent with the dill. Serve the salmon with buttered pumpernickel as an appetizer or first course along with thin slices of cucumber. The salmon can be garnished with chopped chives, scallions, capers, minced shallots, or lemon zest. Drizzle the salmon with extra-virgin olive oil if you desire.

SERVES 10 AS A FIRST COURSE OR 20 AS AN APPETIZER

• ½ cup coarse sea salt or kosher salt
• ½ cup sugar
• 1 salmon fillet (3 to 4 pounds), skin on and scaled, pin bones removed
• 10 sprigs fresh dill, coarsely chopped
• ¼ cup gin

Select a 2 -inch-deep glass or ceramic baking dish that fits the length of the fish as closely as possible. In a small bowl, combine the salt and sugar and spread half of this mixture on the bottom of the baking dish. Lay the salmon, skin side down, in the dish. Gently rub the remaining salt mixture over the flesh side of the fillet. Spread the dill over the fillet. Slowly drizzle the gin over the fish, being careful not to rinse off the salt cure.

Place a large sheet of plastic wrap directly on top of the fish. Select a slightly smaller baking dish, or some other large, flat object, to rest on top of the fish. Place something that weighs several pounds in the top of the dish. I use full beer bottles set on their sides. Place the weighted salmon in the refrigerator for at least 2 days or up to 5 days. Turn the salmon once a day, being sure to weight the salmon after each turn.

To serve, skin the fillet, then cut the fillet into ⅛-inch-thick crosswise slices. Arrange on a platter and garnish as desired. Gravlax keeps for up to 1 week in the refrigerator. To freeze for up to 3 months, wrap the gravlax completely in plastic wrap and then in a double layer of aluminum foil.