Klaus’ mother has told him several times that one of the first words he learned to say was “kala” which is Finnish for a fish. Needless to say, he really likes fishing and cooking fish. It’s always been there as a passion for him, but recently we increased fish in our diet. The reasons behind this are many, but the main one is that Klaus developed a level of intolerance for lactose, and since he couldn’t anymore have my favorite breakfast: a large bowl of yogurt with berries and a bit of honey. So he needed to rethink my breakfast. We tried various “fake” yogurts, coconut based and oat based, and a few of them were actually not that bad, but eventually eating coconut something every morning started to get to him. His work days are quite physical and often last 12 hours or more, so he really needs a hearty breakfast that is nutritious and has protein.
As we try our best to be environmentally conscious and healthy in our diet we realized that meat products, such as cold cuts and bacon, were not really an option for a daily source of protein and that’s when our attention turned to sustainably fished or farmed fish. Generally speaking Finnish fish farming and commercial fishing are well regulated and sustainable, with few exceptions regarding especially Fishing in the Baltic Sea (source: Kalaopas – WWF Suomi). Also the Finnish Food Authority (source: Safe use of fish ruokavirasto.fi) recommends fish as food and even says that the consumption of it should be increased, (again with a few exceptions.)
So, how to use fish as a source of protein for breakfast?
Our favorite way by far is graved, in which the fish is prepared and preserved by salt. It’s quick to prepare and usually takes about 24 hours to be ready, sometimes even less depending on the size of the fish. It also stays good in the fridge for 2-3 days, in which time it’s usually finished anyway, but if not, you can always freeze it. We eat it on top of a slice of rye bread, with some hummus and green veggies, whatever’s available.
Below you’ll find the recipe for making graved whitefish, but the procedure is essentially the same even if you use for example salmon or rainbow trout. You can also add some other spices, if you wish. Dill, rose pepper and white pepper are quite common additions. We like to add graved fish to our appetizers beside eating it for breakfast, and when we do that, we add a Dill Citronette to make a sort of Nordic Fish Carpaccio.
Hemp napkin by Hempea
Graved Whitefish
Ingredients
For the Graved Whitefish
- 800 g Whitefish filet
- 3 tablespoons of Big grain salt
- 1 teaspoon of sugar optional
For the Dill Citronette
- 1 ½ tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- Fresh dill
- Black pepper to taste
Instructions
For the Graved Whitefish
- Remove the bones from the filet. Cover the whitefish fillet with big grain salt and sugar.
- Wrap the filet first in clingfilm and then still in tin foil.
- Let it rest in the refrigerator overnight, remove the wrappings, and rinse away the extra salt. Dry with paper, cut to slices and serve plain or with a Dill Citronette.
For the Dill Citronette
- Place all the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. In case you want the sauce to be very clear, sieve the sauce before pouring it onto the fish.
Want to use whitefish for a main dish? Try our Feta Cheese Basil Whitefish Recipe!
Supported by Taike
