Nelly Widmann knows a thing or two about salmon.

At only 15 years old, she began working on her dad’s seiner boat in Alaska, hauling in nets of wild salmon on the Prince William Sound.

She fell in love with life on a boat, having access to the freshest wild salmon imaginable!

Last summer, Nelly worked aboard the Morning Star, another seining boat out of Cordova, AK. She even kept a garden box atop the wheelwatch, raising fresh salad greens and herbs for the whole fishing season.

Her fresh herb garden thrived in the salty ocean breezes.

The excess of dill, in particular, came in handy for making her granddad’s recipe for gravlax, more popularly known as lox.

During her summers in Alaska, Nelly uses salmon straight off her boat. At i love blue sea, we use our Loki Wild Salmon Fillets - it’s as fresh as it gets unless you happen to be a deckhand on a salmon fishing boat.

From this fisherwoman’s galley to yours, enjoy!

The salmon is salt-cured, so no cooking is necessary.

Ingredients:

1/4 C Salt

¼ C Sugar

½ t Pepper

1 t Brown Sugar

Grand Marnier (or brandy)

1-1 ½ lbs Fresh Wild Salmon, skin on

Sliced onion

Freshly chopped dill

Mix together salt, sugar, pepper, and brown sugar for salmon rub.

Rub salmon fillets with mixture, coating both sides. Place fillets skin-down in a dish or pan, add a light layer of sugar mixture on top, then cover with thinly sliced onions and dill.

Drip Grand Marnier or brandy over the top, cover with plastic wrap, and place in the fridge.

Baste frequently over the next 36 to 48 hours.

Once out of the brine, it can be eaten immediately, or stored in the fridge or freezer.

To serve, slice diagonally and serve on your favorite cracker or bagel with cream cheese and capers.

Pop Pop’s Gravlax Sauce:

3 T Mustard

1 T Oil

1 T Sugar

cut up dill

Mix and serve drizzled over lox.