Smoked salmon at Christmas: A festive favourite

Hot smoking, on the other hand, is done at temperatures between 120°F and 180°F (49°C and 82°C). The higher heat cooks the fish, giving it a firmer, flakier texture. The choice of wood for smoking, such as oak, hickory, or applewood, significantly influences the flavour profile of the salmon, creating variations that cater to diverse palates.

The origins of smoked salmon trace back centuries, with ancient preservation techniques developed by indigenous peoples in the Pacific Northwest and Scandinavia. These communities relied on smoking to ensure a steady food supply during harsh winters. Over time, smoked salmon gained popularity in Europe and North America, becoming a symbol of luxury and refined taste.

In Jewish cuisine, smoked salmon (often referred to as lox) holds a special place, particularly as a component of the classic bagel-and-lox combination, accompanied by cream cheese, capers, and onions.

I found some lovely, farmed salmon at the market the other day. With its beautiful pink-orange flesh, meaty, succulent flavour, and numerous health benefits, it's no wonder that salmon is such a popular fish. It’s also extremely versatile and holds up to almost any cooking method whether it’s served raw as delicate sashimi, smoked with a variety of aromas, vividly cured with salt, gently poached, roasted, or fried, this oil-rich fish is a popular restaurant choice, but you can also work wonders with it at home.

I used half of my beautiful looking salmon to make a delicious Gravad lax. 'Gravad lax' is Swedish for 'cured salmon' and was probably invented a long time ago when fishermen would save part of their catch by burying it in the beach. Presumably the salt in the sand had a preservative effect to prolong its shelf life for a while. I sliced my salmon and served it with a green salad and pickled cucumbers…it was just perfect for a light lunch.

In my view there is no substitute to seasonal wild salmon in terms flavour and texture. The very appearance of a wild salmon is a joy to behold. It’s had a life that’s been full of adventure. Swimming up and down stream, out to sea and back again, leaping waterfalls and gorging on small prawns and other crustaceans developing that beautiful, pinkish colour and wonderful flavour. Unfortunately, wild salmon is very difficult to find these days, but farmed salmon is extremely abundant and a relatively cheap alternative. Although it is not big on flavour, it is very easy to cook. Its fatty make-up allows you to overcook it slightly without spoiling the texture of the fish. Salmon can be flavoured with anything from fresh dill to juniper berries, pink peppercorns, orange, cauliflower, and earthy beetroot.

Gravad Lax

Ingredients: serves 4-6

• 2 x 350g pieces of de-boned salmon (cut from the middle section with the skin on)
• 50g sea salt
• 40g sugar
• A small bunch of dill, chopped
• 1 tsp black peppercorns, crushed
• Grated zest of lemon
• 2 tbsp gin
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard

Method

Mix the salt, sugar, peppercorns and lemon zest in a bowl. Pat the salmon fillets dry with kitchen paper and run your hands over the flesh to see if there are any remaining small bones – if there are, use a pair of tweezers to pull them out.

Place the first fillet of salmon skin-side down in a dish and then pack the salt cure all over the flesh. Drizzle with gin and top with the 2nd fillet, flesh-side down. Cover with cling film and place a small weight on top. (a couple of tins is fine) Place in the fridge for at least 12 hours or up to 24 hours. The longer you leave it, the more cured it will become.

Unwrap the fish and brush off the marinade with kitchen paper. Rinse briefly in cold water and pat dry with kitchen paper. Place the fillets skin side down and, using a pastry brush, brush liberally with Dijon mustard. Cover all over with chopped dill. You can slice the fish classically into long thin slices, leaving the skin behind, or remove the skin it and slice it straight down. Serve the sliced fish on a large platter or individual plates with a small green salad, pumpernickel bread and lemon wedges.

Rósti potatoes with smoked slamon & dill crème fraiche

Ingredients​

• 250g Sliced Smoked Salmon

For the rosti potatoes

• 400g potatoes, peeled.
• 4 tspn olive oil
• 50g Clarified butter
• A sprig of fresh thyme (finely chopped)
• Seasoning
• Dill crème fraiche
• 500g crème fraiche or sour cream
• 2 tspn of finely chopped dill, plus extra for garnishing
• 2 tspn of lemon juice
• salt flakes, to taste

To make the potato rösti, grate the potatoes and squeeze out the excess water. Season with ½ teaspoon of salt and some black pepper. Heat half the oil and half the butter in one 20cm (8 inch) heavy based frying pan or 4 individual blini pans. Add the potato mix and press it down evenly with the back of a spatula. Cook for 6-7 minutes on each side, or until golden on both sides but take care not to cook it over too high a heat or it will over-brown before the potato on the inside has had a chance to cook. Serve with smoked salmon & dill crème fraiche.

Smoked salmon & dill quiche

Ingredients ​serves 6

• 200g smoked salmon
• 250ml cream
• 100ml milk
• 5 eggs, beaten
• 50g Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
• 2 tbsp chopped dill
• Sea salt & black pepper

Short crust pastry

• 300 g flour
• 150 g butter, chilled & diced
• A pinch of salt
• 2 tbsp cold water

Method

Sift the flour and tip it into a food processor or bowl. Add the butter & salt. Whizz to form breadcrumbs. Don't over-process it. Pace the dough on a floured surface and add 2 tbsp cold water. Start to bring the pastry together (you want to have as little contact with the pastry yourself as possible to stop it getting too hot). Wrap in cling film and chill for 30 minutes Roll the pastry on a floured work surface to 2mm thickness. Line a 26cm tart ring, don’t trim off the excess pastry just yet though, as it will shrink a little when it cooks. Refrigerate for at least 15 minutes.

Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Remove the pastry case from the fridge and line with baking parchment. Fill with baking beans, then bake blind for 20 mins. Remove beans and paper then cook for 5 mins more until pale golden. Turn down the oven to 160C/140C fan/ gas 3. Trim the edges of the pastry case with a sharp serrated knife. Arrange the smoked salmon in the bottom of the pastry case. Whisk the eggs, milk, cream, chopped dill in a bowl and season well. Pour over the salmon, scatter with grated parmesan and then bake for 30 minutes, or until set with a slight wobble in the centre. Serve warm, or at room temperature.