Smoked salmon is one of those festive treats that simply lights up a luncheon or buffet table. It is also a fine ingredient for a risotto, a timbale or any other fish dish including canapes that enjoys some of the luscious smokiness of fish. Consider using smoked salmon flakes in linquine or tagliatelle as your tastebuds will love you forever. Why not really treat yourself and have it for breakfast as part of an Eggs Benedict. No need for ham when this cured fish will spank the hide off a piece of bacon.
Salmon is often cut into a fillet. Smoked salmon is simply a cured fillet which has been hot or cold smoked. It has quite a high price and is regarded as a delicacy. Given that it is such a luxury, finding some good quality pieces should not break the wallet. There are plenty of suppliers out there which offer pieces at a suitable price and quantity.
What is it with a slice of lemon ?
Do not squeeze lemon juice over a slab of salmon until you have tasted it. In many restaurants we have seen diners squeeze lemon over slivers of salmon without having tried it first. Too much acid can ruin the fine flavour of a piece. The acid might help cut the sliminess if that is what you detect but the best quality does not really need it. Lemon is very much a personal touch so do not destroy the flavour simply because the slice is there.
Having said that about lemon, add some featheriness from dill and you deserve a star. It also works well with some fennel. The aniseedy, slightly licorice notes create a sophistication that other herbs do not add.
Champagne and smoked salmon are what strawberries would be to cream. They go to together so well. Failing champagne, prosecco seems to work wonders
Scottish Smoked Salmon Versus The Rest
I sound partisan to say it but a Scottish salmon is fantastic. It needs to be Scottish for the simple reason that it somehow tastes better. Norwegian and US salmon certainly has a distinct flavour but the reasons for this are unclear. I have purchased US salmon which has come from coho and other pacific species but there is a distinct difference in the curing process and not always to the advantage.
Variants And So On And So Forth
Smoked salmon does not just have to give you smokiness. Look for varieties with whisky (whiskey) which have been infused into the flesh but not too overdone.
Check The Shelf-Life
View anything over three or four weeks with suspicion. It usually means that too much preservative has been added. Never buy if a sugar has been added because it does not need it.
Dark Brown Edges On A Smoked Salmon Fillet
If you spot some dark edges to the salmon then it suggests the fish has not been trimmed carefully. A good slab of smoked salmon should not have any dark brown edges at all. Any dark brown meat in a salmon slice also means that it will not store well because the aging process has set in.
Also look out for too much orange. It should not be as bright as a satsuma because that means it could be dyed.
Oily Fish
Salmon is oily but it should never drip or feel greasy on the lips and in the mouth. There should be a slight oily sheen to a slab of smoked salmon but not to the point where it is dripping all over the plate like an oily risotto for example.
On the plus side, oily salmon is not so bad for us in the nutritional sense. Smoked salmon is an excellent source of protein. It also includes omega-3 fatty acids, which can help lower the risk of heart disease and arthritis, among other myriad health-boosting properties. Nutritionists nowadays recommend that we should aim to eat a portion of oily fish which includes mackerel about three times a week, so that’s all the excuse we need to indulge.
Get The Texture Right With Smoked Salmon
Well we mentioned oiliness as an issue but the texture which means flakiness needs to be right too. Sometimes if the fish is too fry it becomes very firm and even a bit rubbery. In fact if you can bend it like credit card without it falling part tells you that not all is right.
The fish should have a flaky texture.
Smell It And Bin It If It Don’t Smell Right
Always smell salmon. It should not have any except the smokiness. Any fishy smell that is off putting means the fish should be immediately discarded. I would not taste it either. Botulism is an issue and there are regular recalls. Usually poor storage coupled with low levels of salting are responsible. Botulism is a nasty disease to suffer from. It is caused by Clostridium botulinum. It is such a cause celbre in the food poisoning world that the Botulinum cook is a definition for a type of canning process where the specification is set to stop any form of this bacteria growing. Do not let it ruin your festivities by careless choice and keeping a piece of lovely smoked salmon.
The London Cure
The East End of London has Billingsgate market which is the one of the greatest and oldest fish markets in the world. The London Cure is a type of smoking process unique to London. The method means London is the first capital city to be given an EU protected food name. This was given to Lance Forman who is the fourth generation owner of a smokehouse called H. Forman & Son. After 120 years when his great great grandfather opened the business in Billingsgate, it nearly went to the wall because of the 2012 Olympics. Nowadays it is still smoking its fish by the old methods like before and long may it continue.
If you are looking for recipes the simply look on the BBC web-site.
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