Gravlax
Salmon Marinated in Dill

3 to 3 1/2 pound fresh salmon, center cut, cleaned and scaled
1 large bunch dill
1/4 cup coarse (kosher) salt
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons white pepper

Cut the salmon in half lengthwise and remove the backbone and all other small bones.  Place half of the fish, skin side down, in a deep glass, enamel or stainless steel baking dish.  Wash, shake dry and coarsely chop the bunch of dill, and place in on the fish.  In a separate bowl, combine the salt, sugar, and pepper.  Sprinkle this mixture evenly over the dill.  Top with the other half of the fish, skin side up.  Cover the fish with aluminum foil and on it set a heavy platter slightly larger than the salmon and place a weight on it.  Refrigerate for 2-3 days.  Turn the fish over every 12 hours, basting it with the liquid marinade that accumulates, and separating the halves a little to baste the salmon inside.  Replace the weight each time.

When the gravlax is finished, remove the fish from its marinade, scrape away the dill and seasoning, and pat it dry with a towel.  Place the separated halves skin side down on a carving board and slice the salmon halves thinly on the diagonal, detaching each slice from the skin. Gravlax is served as part of a Swedish smrgasbord or an appetizer, and is accompanied by a mustard sauce.  When gravlax is resented as a main course, it is garnished with lemon wedges as well as the mustard sauce and served with toast and perhaps a cucumber salad.