Gravlax With Sweet Mustard Sauce

Ingredients

• 1 side skin-on wild salmon (about 3 pounds), halved crosswise
• 2 cups fennel fronds or fresh dill, coarsely chopped
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup coarse salt
• 3 tablespoons coarsely chopped lemon zest
• 1 1/2 teaspoons whole pink or black peppercorns, crushed
• 1 tablespoon caraway seeds, crushed (optional)
• 1 tablespoon aquavit or vodka
• sweet mustard sauce, optional
• 1 loaf pumpernickel bread, thinly sliced and crusts removed
• 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
• 1 fennel bulb or cucumber (peeled and seeded), thinly sliced