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Citron Gravlax Tartine Recipe

Citron Gravlax Tartines and a bottle of Josh wines

“The first time I made these, I fell in love and made them every day for nearly a week. The combination of orange liqueur, sugar, and salmon is nearly irresistible. Now, I like to serve them with a citrus creme fraiche and the darkest baguette I can find.” – Joseph Carr, Founder, Josh Cellars

Hoping to complement your Josh Cellars wine with a versatile recipe you can serve at a party or as a side to a meal? Try our Citron Gravlax Tartine recipe. Our experts curated this dish to pair well with our Josh Cellars wines—our personal favorite pairing is our Rosé.

Ingredients

  • 3 to 4 tablespoons Cointreau or other orange liqueur
  • 1 1/4 pounds salmon fillet with skin
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 3/4 cup coarse salt
  • 1/2 tablespoon fennel seeds, toasted and crushed
  • Zest of 1 lemon, grated
  • Zest of 1 lime, grated
  • Zest of 1 orange, grated
  • 2 thyme sprigs, leaves crushed
  • 1 dried bay leaf, crumbled

Directions

  1. Rub Cointreau over flesh side of salmon. In a half-gallon zip-top plastic bag, combine sugar, salt and fennel. Add zests, thyme and bay leaf; mix well.
  2. Put salmon in bag, gently roll to coat, then press sugar-salt mixture into meat. Place plastic bag on a plate, put a weight on top (like a heavy skillet) and refrigerate overnight or for about 12 to 14 hours.
  3. When ready to serve, remove bag from refrigerator and thoroughly scrape off citrus-salt mixture, dabbing with a damp cloth if necessary.
  4. Before serving, slice gravlax paper-thin on a diagonal and serve on crackers, with a dollop of citrus creme fraiche with tarragon.
  5. Warm French bread in the oven and then spread with a little cream cheese infused with some orange juice. And garnish with wedges of orange and zest of lemon and orange.