My dad is famous for his fish preparations, so I asked him to share his recipe secrets with me. His first instruction given with a straight face was, “Catch a bunch of salmon or trout.” I love how he’s still teaching me to live off the land (and water!) for the freshest and best food possible. When curing fish, as in this recipe, it is particularly important to use very fresh fish that has not been previously frozen. The flavor and texture will change for the worse if you use frozen fish or fish that is not super fresh.
Most store-bought gravlax includes sugar in its curing mixture, which lends a sweet undertone. To mimic this traditional flavor, I include a touch of erythritol in my curing mixture. You can leave it out if you prefer, but the gravlax will not have the familiar, traditional flavor profile.