Your smoked salmon recommendations please
Discussion
Tends to be a bit of a Christmas tradition in our house, but thought I'd see if I can find some smoked salmon which stands out from the crowd this year rather than allowing SWMBO to buy a the first packet she sees in the supermarket.
Would like to mail order it this week if possible so what are your recommendations?
Would like to mail order it this week if possible so what are your recommendations?
FurtiveFreddy said:
Tends to be a bit of a Christmas tradition in our house, but thought I'd see if I can find some smoked salmon which stands out from the crowd this year rather than allowing SWMBO to buy a the first packet she sees in the supermarket.
Would like to mail order it this week if possible so what are your recommendations?
We picked up some from a remote smokery north of Ullapool - it was very, very good, great colour, good smoke flavour and was not flabby & greasy like the cheaper stuff you can get. I'll see if I can find out the name.Would like to mail order it this week if possible so what are your recommendations?
Here it is: Achiltibuie Smokehouse - felt like it was almost out at the end of the earth!
Website: http://www.summerislesfoods.com/index.asp
Last orders before Xmas today!
Edited by prand on Monday 10th December 14:36
lepetitoeuf said:
I'm thinking of making gravadlax from a whole salmon this year, to help feed the family on Xmas day evening.
Anyone done gravadlax before? Sounds very easy
It is! Generaly the hardest pare is getting hold of fresh dill weed at this time of year. Use fresh if at all possible though dried will give you a just about acceptable result.Anyone done gravadlax before? Sounds very easy
It also freezes extremely well due to low water content so don't be afraid of making too much.
FurtiveFreddy said:
Tends to be a bit of a Christmas tradition in our house, but thought I'd see if I can find some smoked salmon which stands out from the crowd this year rather than allowing SWMBO to buy a the first packet she sees in the supermarket.
Would like to mail order it this week if possible so what are your recommendations?
Either http://www.teviotgamefaresmokery.co.uk/Would like to mail order it this week if possible so what are your recommendations?
or split a whole wild salmon and pinbone sides. Brine in 40% brine for 6 hours then smoke for 24 hours at 15-20 centigrade over well seasoned fruit wood. Rest for 48 hours before eating.
zcacogp said:
Sadly impossible to do in most homes.
Oli.
put one of these on your xmas list then http://www.gardenxl.com/proq-cold-smoke-generator opens up a whole world of cold smoked foods. I seem to remember 12hrs in brine followed by 24hrs drying followed by ~20hrs of oak smoke produces very good results. Obviously the better the salmon you use the better the end result, but I have had some very reasonably results from cheap supermarket salmon, which ends up costing about £7 per KGOli.
zcacogp said:
^^^ This. (From larger branches of Waitrose.)
The best by miles.
Having spent some time working on the Hebrides, this stuff is pretty good (may have got sick of the sight of smoked fish products after 2wks.....)
http://lochduartsmokedsalmon.com/shop/
It's also sold in some shops:
http://lochduartsmokedsalmon.com/where_to_buy.html
http://lochduartsmokedsalmon.com/shop/
It's also sold in some shops:
http://lochduartsmokedsalmon.com/where_to_buy.html
For those on a budget, Norwegian salmon from Lidl is very good indeed 
A few years ago, we read a taste test in The Times supplement and it came out top:
http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/life/food/article178... (it's not the full list; Times paywall
), but it bested Waitrose and M&S.
As there was a Lidl not too far away, we tried it and by god it was excellent for the money. Thin pieces, quite dry (so not at all greasy), lovely texture with little chewiness, and a nice balance of smoke and fish flavours.
A few years ago, we read a taste test in The Times supplement and it came out top:
http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/life/food/article178... (it's not the full list; Times paywall
), but it bested Waitrose and M&S.As there was a Lidl not too far away, we tried it and by god it was excellent for the money. Thin pieces, quite dry (so not at all greasy), lovely texture with little chewiness, and a nice balance of smoke and fish flavours.
Thanks for all your suggestions. Decided to try a selection box from http://www.summerislesfoods.com/index.asp and some from Formans. Might also get some of the Heston Waitrose stuff as well and have a little blind tasting session to see what we like the best.
Going to make some blinis and do it properly when it comes to Christmas itself.
Should satisfy our smoked salmon cravings for a while...
Going to make some blinis and do it properly when it comes to Christmas itself.
Should satisfy our smoked salmon cravings for a while...
prand said:
We picked up some from a remote smokery north of Ullapool - it was very, very good, great colour, good smoke flavour and was not flabby & greasy like the cheaper stuff you can get. I'll see if I can find out the name.
Here it is: Achiltibuie Smokehouse - felt like it was almost out at the end of the earth!
Website: http://www.summerislesfoods.com/index.asp
Last orders before Xmas today!
can't get onto their website at work, but if this is the Ullapool smoked salmon I think it is, it stands way above any other I've ever eaten; Heston's tea smoked, waitrose rich smoke loch Durart etc, loch fyne's own are not a patch on it.Here it is: Achiltibuie Smokehouse - felt like it was almost out at the end of the earth!
Website: http://www.summerislesfoods.com/index.asp
Last orders before Xmas today!
Edited by prand on Monday 10th December 14:36
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