Gravlax cured with desert lime and saltbush

Name: Gravlax cured with desert lime and saltbush
Cook time: 1 h 30 min
Ingredients: 800g salmon fillet, skin on; 4 tab salt; 4 tab caster sugar; 2-3 tab desert limes, chopped finely*; 2 tab vodka; half-1 teaspoon dried saltbush leaf**; 1 large ziplock plastic bag that will contain the piece of fish.; 2 tab desert lime syrup; 1 tab caster sugar; 2 tab vodka; half teaspoon dried saltbush leaf, ground to a powder; *desert limes are available frozen in specialty food stores. They can be simmered until soft in light sugar syrup or buy the limes in syrup from australiandesertlimes.com.au; **powdered saltbush is available from outbackpride.com.au. An alternative might be lemon myrtle leaves, available at specialty food stores.

Ange Vincent

October 18, 2011

Gravlax cured with desert lime and saltbushSupplied

Time:1-2 hours

Bush tucker a la mode

Ingredients

800g salmon fillet, skin on
4 tab salt
4 tab caster sugar
2-3 tab desert limes, chopped finely*
2 tab vodka
half-1 teaspoon dried saltbush leaf**
1 large ziplock plastic bag that will contain the piece of fish.
2 tab desert lime syrup
1 tab caster sugar
2 tab vodka
half teaspoon dried saltbush leaf, ground to a powder
*desert limes are available frozen in specialty food stores. They can be simmered until soft in light sugar syrup or buy the limes in syrup from australiandesertlimes.com.au
**powdered saltbush is available from outbackpride.com.au. An alternative might be lemon myrtle leaves, available at specialty food stores.

Method

Mix salt, sugar, chopped desert lime, saltbush and vodka into a paste in a bowl. Place the fish in the bag, skin side down. Spread the paste over the flesh side, covering well. Work the fish to the end of the bag and then turn, excluding as much air as possible so that the fish is now flesh side down. Fold the bag tightly around the fish and place the bagged fillet into a plastic container into which it fits snugly. Weigh the fish with a plate or a can of tomatoes placed on its side and refrigerate for 3 days.
Dressing
Mix desert lime syrup, sugar and vodka together and stir until sugar has dissolved. Set aside until needed.
Undo the bag, remove fish and wipe off any remaining paste ingredients with paper towels. Lay fish on carving board, flesh side up. Slice thinly away from the skin on the diagonal. Any remaining unsliced fish can be rewrapped and stored in the refrigerator and used over the next week.
Roll sliced gravlax into small "roses", dress with a squirt of the dressing and a sprinkle of dried, ground saltbush (or lemon myrtle) leaves. Top with pickled wild passionfruit buds (or conventional capers).

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