The Italians have Parma ham and we have smoked salmon - no fuss, instant eating
THIS WEEKEND we celebrate our national treasure in the shape of St Patrick, and where is the food we will feast on? It may be timely to consider Irish stew, with the arrival of new-season lamb, but the real hero is smoked salmon, and what has changed fundamentally in recent years is its availability and price.
Where even five years ago the choice was wild and expensive or farmed and cheap, the arrival of organic salmon and the demise of wild has led not just to a change in the price structure, but also more choice. As in France, there are shops now selling not one, but two and sometimes three varieties of smoked salmon.
Being able to buy good smoked salmon in shops has in part come about, according to Anthony Creswell of Ummera, because of this reduction in price. Niche smokers have, he argues, started to look to more traditional distribution channels to offset costs. But this has also come at a time when small speciality shops are springing up all round the country, seeking just this kind of individually produced food that has character, a sense of place, a sense of the individual that makes it. And if you are lucky, several different producers of the same product.
While we might argue the merits of salmon, which has gone through some intensive manipulation over the past 20 or 30 years, much of it unwelcome, the smoker is also key. Not just in choosing the wood to smoke with, but also how long to smoke the fish, how to hang it, how to cure it, and in what proportion.
One of my favourite smokers, Sally Barnes, still smokes wild salmon only, which she sources in Scotland. She gives to her smoking a delightful, quirky edge, which I feel tames the fish in an entirely different way to, say, Frank Hederman, whose approach is somehow softer.
Sit down to a meal in much of northern Italy and it will start with prosciutto. Nothing accompanies it, little fuss is made. It comes thinly-sliced, on a plate to be shared. In contrast, dining at the Park Inn in Mulranny, Co Mayo last week, the menu failed to even mention the name of the smoker, concentrating instead on the dressing the fish didn't need. Why do we want things elaborate all the time?
There are plenty of artisans out there and they need our help. Yet how can we eat their food when restaurants like this one won't serve it, or tell us about them? And do it in a way we can afford? Everyone realises the need for businesses to make money, but we should be able to nibble on our national treasure without breaking the bank. Too few restaurants sing the praises of their producers.
Maybe the answer is to enjoy it at home, opting for a different salmon each time, or even try two or three differently sourced ones together. This is no-fuss, instant eating of a decidedly superior kind. A plate of wafer thin, golden heaven.
Cutting smoked salmon
Tradition dictates that salmon should be sliced wafer thin and undoubtedly this is a good option. But try slicing directly down through the fillet, not too thick, but not too thin either. The experience is entirely different, the silky texture is replaced by something altogether richer, with more bite.