We are lucky enough to have, by virtue of the Internet, made friends around the world. So last week marked our second visit from Canadian friends, Lil and Marc. And knowing Furry and I as they do, they presented us with a HUGE box of Canadian Wild Smoked Salmon. I was verily aquiver with anticipation at eating this delux delight!! (We had previously scoffed their offering of Elk and Whiskey Pate.... le swooooooon!)
I had originally planned to go with some sourdough bread, the salmon and a perfectly poached egg, but after Agnes's wonderful offering of home-made bagels, lox and cream cheese, I had a hankering for something different.
So I asked my wise and worldly friends at Chowhound, who came up with the idea of doing ti Japanese-style. Thinly sliced at room temp, on hot steamed rice, with dipping sauces of terryaki, fresh ginger and lime juice. I also added a dipping sauce of light soy and wasabi.
There we were. Furry and I, ready to chow down.....
and then we opened the salmon....
Rather than being the light, orange, SLICE-ABLE fillet we expected, we were faced with a deep, dense meaty slab more reminiscent of a smoked mackerel. There was absolutely no way we could slice it. It was flaky and dense, redolent with the alder smoke.
It was absolutely divine, but NOT suited to the purpose of slicing and not really suited to the light Japanese flavours I had to accompany it.
Think double-smoked trout, or those lovely oily/dry meaty fish you can get in Greek deli's.
It was absolutely divine, but NOT suited to the purpose of slicing and not really suited to the light Japanese flavours I had to accompany it.
Think double-smoked trout, or those lovely oily/dry meaty fish you can get in Greek deli's.
It probably went better with the ginger and lime dipping sauce than it did with the darker soy and wasabi. Eventually, I poured the dipping sauce over my rice, ate that separately and then tucked into the salmon as a finger lickin' snack of its own.
I had entertained ideas of blinis with creme fraiche and caviar, but I think this meat is even to heavy for that.
This salmon is not fit for dainty morsels and subtle flavours, this is a salmon to chow down on in the middle of the Canadian winter before you jump on your trusty steed, all Dudley Do-Right and wade thru 20ft snow drifts to save Miss Nell from Darstadly Dan!
Luckily, there is about 1/2 left, so next time, I am going to go with a more Scandinavian idea... or maybe back to the original of sourdough and poached eggs.
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4 comments:
Mmm reminds me of the smoked barramundi we get from Garfield. So it would suit a Japanese soba salad with some avocado, wakame, black sesame seeds, silky tofu and a light sesame oil-uzu-ponzu dressing.
It could be a good candidate for tossing into a risotto with dill and finished with a big scoop of marscapone and lemon zest. Or likewise with pasta, or a quiche, or flaked onto a puff pastry tart base, sprinkled with sumac and gussied up with rocket, buffalo mozzarella or Meredith goats cheese and caramelised onions.
You could even toss it into eggs on cocotte or eat in potato salad with dill and lemon dressing...ah so many options..delish.....
Wow looks like a full on piece of salmon, very meaty indeed. Glad you enjoyed.
P.S. on the tag you gave me. I am still going to do it just waiting for the right moment for it, after I land the job I want basically and then it will be done.
I'm thinking potato for that number.
There is a Jill Dupleix floating on cuisine.com.au for a salad (i think she uses smoked trout) that is perfect for hot smoked salmon.
And then I'm thinking creamy mash, or hash or blinis.
looks great - we do a lot of hot smoked salmon in my clan!
We usually just eat scarf it down as part of an antipasto plate.
Or just scarf it down, period...
I'm glad you liked it.
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