Donal Skehan: Gravadlax with cucumber pickle

No Scandi feast is complete without gravadlax and it’s served throughout the year on special occasions as part of the smorgasbord, a buffet of cold meats, cheese, bread, and smoked and preserved fish.

This is a great make-ahead recipe and is perfect as a starter for a dinner party. It’s great as is, but is extra specially good with cucumber pickle and dill mustard mayonnaise. For the gravadlax: Mix the salt, sugar, pepper and dill together. Lay out one half of the salmon, skin side down, on cling film and spread the mixture over it, ensuring it is evenly coated. Cover this prepared side with the other half of salmon and wrap tightly in cling film and refrigerate in a high-sided dish. Turn this every day for three days and it will be ready to eat on the fourth day. (You can eat it sooner, but the flavour won’t be as intense).

Remove the salmon from the cling film and pour away any excess liquid in the dish. Slice thinly with a sharp knife, taking care to slice clear of the skin as you go. Serve slices with pickled cucumber and dill mayonnaise on Swedish crisp bread or Irish brown bread.

For the cucumber pickle: Slice the cucumber very thinly, preferably on the thinnest setting of a mandolin, if you have one. In a bowl, mix together the sugar, salt and vinegar until combined and then add the cucumber and shallot. Transfer to a jar, seal and place in the fridge overnight before serving.

For the dill mustard mayonnaise: Whisk the yolk, mustard and sugar in a bowl, slowly, until combined. Add the oil drop by drop until the mixture has emulsified, then add the vinegar and dill. Season with salt and pepper.