In most French households, the plate of smoked salmon is always accompanied by a few slices of lemon. Beyond a seasoning, it has become a decorative element.
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This is a bad habit because lemon tends to spoil the taste of good smoked salmon. According to Didier Trentacosta, founder of Autour du Salmon boutiques, “Lemon should be banned because it will cook the salmon and it will break its taste. The salmon has already been cooked by smoking, there is no point in re-cooking it”.
We tend to baste our slice of salmon copiously to “lighten” the fatty side in the mouth, but this amounts to spoiling a good quality salmon. The rule is the same with oysters or caviar, their iodine flavors must be tasted without seasoning to be fully appreciated. Ditto with a good foie gras, it is best to eat it plain or with a little fleur de sel, because the spices in a chutney will mask its aromas.
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How to choose a good smoked salmon?
Low-end smoked salmon are often very fatty, with a fat content of up to 30%. In this case, lemon may be necessary… When buying, we can estimate the amount of fat with the naked eye, noting the more or less significant presence of white fillets marbling the flesh, or the presence of oil visible in the blister pack. A good salmon should contain around 10% fat. Unpleasant surprises are avoided with the Label Rouge which guarantees a fat content of between 7 and 17%.
It is also necessary to privilege the mention “Fumé au bois de…”, which guarantees a real smoking. The mere mention of “smoked” means that the fish may have been smoked by vaporizing liquid smoke. We then find the mention “smoke aroma” in the list of ingredients.
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However, the color of smoked salmon is not a sign of quality. It must be homogeneous, but some wild salmon will be very clear, other quality salmon will be very orange, because the color is linked to the nature of the fish's diet, so it is variable from one fishing region to one. 'other. It is better to avoid salmon that still have brown parts, revealing a certain negligence in the slicing. We also favor large slices, they indicate that the salmon has had time to develop well. Moreover, to enjoy it all year round, you can freeze it on condition that you follow very specific rules.
As for the selling price, it takes at least 40 € per kilo to have quality smoked salmon. But the price very quickly soars above 100 € in specialty shops.
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How to serve smoked salmon?
Smoked salmon should be brought out to room temperature 15 to 30 minutes before tasting. Didier Trentacosta explains that “this allows the flesh to relax and the aromas to develop."He also points out that the only spice that will allow salmon to express all of these aromas is pepper. It is therefore served raw, accompanied by toast or blinis, with a little sweet butter (the smoked salmon is already salted), possibly cream, plain or flavored with dill. If you want to use it in a recipe, it is advisable to use it cold, for makis or alms, since it will lose its aromas if it is cooked again.
And to accompany it, we prefer white wine or champagne, or white spirits such as vodka or aquavit.
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