Why smoking is good for you
For centuries fish was the mainstay of families living along coastlines and on rivers, caught and eaten immediately or preserved by potting in butter or by smoking or salting. As we know, oily fish has been linked to many health benefits, including a lower risk of heart disease, improved mental ability, protection from cancer, alcohol-related dementia and rheumatoid arthritis.
We are told we should eat at least two servings a week.
The standard smoked fish offering in supermarkets is smoked salmon, but the huge majority is produced using industrial processes. It is usually from Norway as it is significantly cheaper than British salmon and needs only be smoked in Scotland to be called Scottish smoked salmon, so even if it is described as Scottish the fish need not come from there at all. Quite often it is brined rather than salted to preserve moisture and sprayed with liquid smoke rather than naturally smoked using wood chips. Sugar is added too to balance the saltiness required for a long shelf life.
Recently the big industrial producers have been hit by a massive increase in the number of lice infecting salmon. In order to delouse these fish housed in huge tanks they use some pretty nasty chemicals. That is why supermarket smoked salmon often has an acrid taste. Smoked salmon should be a delicacy as it used to be, not the commodity it has become.
Good, properly smoked fish should allow the natural product to shine through so you can actually taste the fish, with the smoke complementing and not hiding it. Most artisan smoked salmon is cold smoked at a temperature which allows the pores to open sufficiently to absorb the smoke but not cook the fish. The wood used varies from oak, beech and applewood to chippings from oak barrels, all lending a distinct but subtle taste profile. The lighter the smoke the more the flavour of the fish comes through, whereas whisky barrels or peat add a rich, distinctive taste.
If you close your eyes and savour a smoked fish carefully, you can tell those that have been traditionally smoked by hand, a world away from the smoke ‘sprayed’ variety. It could be naturally pink or even dark red but should be firm in texture and not oily or slimy, and when it is cut it should be slightly transparent and shiny. It should also be fresh tasting and not too salty.
Some traditional smokehouses also ‘hot smoke’ salmon. This is achieved by raising the temperature after the initial cold smoke, so the fish cooks, becoming firm and flaky but moist and can be cut into wedges.
Two of my favourite artisan producers are Coln Valley Smokery and Staal Smokehouse. Coln Valley produce kippers, gravadlax, smoked mackerel and hot smoked trout. They supply key food halls and Michelin-starred restaurants throughout the country as well as prestigious sporting events such as Wimbledon and the Henley Regatta. They use traditional methods to produce their smoked salmon in the heart of the Cotswolds, using London brick kilns, giving a mild but smoky flavour where the quality of the fish shines through. They also have a range of smoked game and poultry.
Staal Smokehouse is based in East Yorkshire and the team meticulously use ancient curing methods. Inverawe Scottish Oak Smokehouse products are excellent too. They have been established as a family business for 35 years, naturally smoking salmon and trout. For something a little quirky The Phished Fish, produce “booze infused” smoked salmon using whisky, rum, gin, vodka, pernod, brandy and bourbon combined with some wonderful botanicals.
There are some great artisan producers who sit outside the production of industrialised smoked fish, and independent retailers will have a client base who can appreciate and tell the difference.
Sue Nelson
