Salmon Gravlax

2 equal-sized fillets of salmon (skin and scales on) totalling about 2 kg

grated rind of 1 lemon

1 large bunch dill, chopped

½ cup salt

½ cup sugar

1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper

½ cup vodka

Using tweezers, remove any protruding pin bones from the fish (the bones that stick out of the middle of the fillet).

Make a soggy mixture of the lemon rind, dill, salt, sugar, pepper and vodka.

Spread a quarter of the mixture in the container and lay one fillet, skin side down, on top of it. Spread half of the mixture on the flesh of the fillet.

Lay the second fillet, skin side up, on the fillet in the container and spread the last quarter of the mixture on the skin. Seal the lid and place in the refrigerator. Marinate the fillets by turning the container every 12 hours for 2 days (so, half the time the sealed container is stored lid-side down).

Leave a sprinkling of the dill on the fillets before carving. Start carving from the tail end, holding the knife tilted to produce thin slices as you would smoked salmon, cutting the flesh away from the skin as you do. Accompany with rye or black bread, and a mustardy mayonnaise, dill or horseradish mousse sauce.

TIP Cover the fillets in plastic wrap if you are not using a sealed container. Near-freezing cold Champagne does nicely with gravlax.