In Scandinavia and the Pacific Northwest, it’s easy to find and purchase fresh salmon straight off the fishing boats on the day of catch. However, unless you know that the salmon you’ll be using for this recipe is sushi-grade, you will need to either a) purchase commercially frozen salmon and thaw before use, or b) wait and freeze the completed gravlax at no higher than -10º F (-23º C) for 7 days. This will kill any microorganisms in less-than-fresh fish.
Rinse the fish and pat dry with paper towels.
Examine the fish for small, opaque pin bones, feeling down along the middle line and along the outer edges of the fillet. Remove any bones with tweezers or needle-nosed pliers.
Cut the fillet into two equal halves.
