Unique salt, the right wood... there's more to smoked salmon than a kiln.

<p>In a fishing port in northeast Scotland, the <a href="https://groceries.asda.com/product/smoked-salmon/asda-extra-special-mild-delicate-scottish-smoked-salmon-100-g/1000383183766?utm_source=referral&utm_medium=article_salmon-meet-the-tastemakers&utm_campaign=Good-Living" target="_blank">finest salmon</a> is kiln-smoked as it has been for generations. Master smoker Kenny Noble explains the secrets of its sensational flavour.</p>
<p>“These kilns really are magic in lots of ways – the smoke adds flavour and helps preserve it”.</p>
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<p>I’ve been in the fish industry all my life. I started out working on shing boats, landing white fish like haddock and cod, then came ashore for good just over 10 years ago to work the kilns here at Young’s in Fraserburgh. I took over from the previous master smoker, James, who passed on his knowledge to me back when I was a fresh-faced fisherman. He was incredibly skilled and had been managing the kilns for decades – it was his life’s work.&nbsp;</p>
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<p>Our kilns are like brick boxes used for smoking food. There’s a vent that brings in air to allow the re to burn, and a fan at the top that helps draw that smoke through, while the salmon hangs inside. The smoke does two things to the meat: adds flavour and helps preserve it. I joke all the time that these kilns are magic, but they really are in lots of ways. They’re quite unassuming-looking and, le to their own devices, wouldn’t do very much at all. But by tinkering with a few different elements, they perform a kind of sorcery.&nbsp;</p>
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<p>Working the kilns is a hands-on job. They’re manned 24 hours a day, all year round. It’s a constant negotiation to make sure the fish are getting exactly the right treatment – there are so many variables to consider, from the size of the salmon to the weather outside. <a href="https://groceries.asda.com/product/food-to-order-2/asda-extra-special-28-blackthorn-dry-cured-smoked-salmon/1000383152107?utm_source=referral&utm_medium=article_salmon-meet-the-tastemakers&utm_campaign=Good-Living" target="_blank">Asda’s Ultimate Blackthorn Cured Smoked Salmon</a> is our newest product. To create it, we broke down each stage of the smoked salmon production process – from the curing and maturation to the smoking and slicing – so we could take each one to the next level.&nbsp;</p>
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<p>The process starts with the fresh salmon that comes to us from Scottish farms. We’re careful about only working with suppliers with solid sustainability credentials. That’s important not only for the welfare of the fish but also the environment – not to mention the overall quality of the end result.&nbsp;</p>
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<p>First, it’s cured with Blackthorn Salt, which is made on the west coast of Scotland by trickling seawater through a huge thorn tower that sits on the shoreline. It’s evaporated by coastal winds before the concentrated brine is gently heated to create chunky salt crystals. We pack that onto the fish by hand and leave it to cure it for 12 hours. Aer being rinsed, it has another 12 hours of maturation to dry it out before it arrives with me to be smoked in the kilns.&nbsp;</p>
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<p>We thought carefully about what woods to use in the kilns – different woods give different flavours – and after much experimentation we settled on alder, sweetgale and heather. This mixture is a nod to the salmon’s natural habitat, as they’re trees and shrubs that grow on the banks of Scottish salmon rivers.&nbsp;</p>
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<p>This salmon is smoked for around 30 hours – more than double the time we would normally smoke salmon for – because these woods are subtle. You get a deeper, richer flavour without overpowering the delicate fish with smokiness. It’s how I like my salmon, with a more intense but balanced flavour. It’s exactly the kind I like to serve on blinis as canapés for Christmas – it’s what you need to balance mild-tasting blinis and cream cheese.&nbsp;</p>
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<p>Christmas is always busy for salmon smokers, and we’ve been preparing since the start of September. Our peak week rolls around in the middle of December, when we dispatch half of our yearly volume. It’s hectic!</p>
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<p>When I’m buying <a href="https://groceries.asda.com/product/smoked-salmon/asda-extra-special-mild-delicate-scottish-smoked-salmon-100-g/1000383183766?utm_source=referral&utm_medium=article_salmon-meet-the-tastemakers&utm_campaign=Good-Living" target="_blank">smoked salmon</a>, I’m looking for fish that’s firm and has a bright orangey-pink colour. It should yield into a buttery kind of texture on the tongue when you eat it, too. That’s how you tell a great-quality piece of salmon apart.&nbsp;</p>
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<h2>How to serve the perfect smoked salmon</h2>
<p>For some, it must be on a bagel for brunch. For others, it’s a mouthful on a blini as a canapé. But really, you can enjoy a slither of smoked salmon on pretty much any kind of bread or cracker.</p>
<p><a href="https://groceries.asda.com/product/smoked-salmon/asda-extra-special-mild-delicate-scottish-smoked-salmon-100-g/1000383183766?utm_source=referral&utm_medium=article_salmon-meet-the-tastemakers&utm_campaign=Good-Living" target="_blank">Smoked salmon</a> is rich, oily, salty, and smoky, so cream cheese is a great pairing because it’s fresh and cool. An earthy brown bread such as rye makes a perfect base – and its crunchy crust adds texture. Add a twist of black pepper, a squeeze of lemon juice and a sprinkling of chopped chives, parsley, or dill for the final flourish.</p>
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<h2>Feeling inspired by our Tastemakers story?</h2>
<p>Try using our <a href="https://groceries.asda.com/product/smoked-salmon/asda-extra-special-mild-delicate-scottish-smoked-salmon-100-g/1000383183766?utm_source=referral&utm_medium=article_salmon-meet-the-tastemakers&utm_campaign=Good-Living" target="_blank">Asda Extra Special Smoked Salmon</a> in these irresistable recipes:</p>

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<a href="https://www.asda.com/good-living/recipe/smoked-salmon-chive-soft-cheese-toastie?recipe_id=cc25bd2d-3f11-11e9-b8b4-c357f6869d1e"><img src="https://ui.assets-asda.com/dm/asdagroceries/cc25bd2d-3f11-11e9-b8b4-c357f6869d1e_Square?scl=1"></a>
<h3><a href="https://www.asda.com/good-living/recipe/smoked-salmon-chive-soft-cheese-toastie?recipe_id=cc25bd2d-3f11-11e9-b8b4-c357f6869d1e" target="_blank">Smoked Salmon & Chive Soft Cheese Toastie</a></h3>
<center><p>15 mins | £2.14pp | Serves 2</p></center>
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<a href="https://www.asda.com/good-living/recipe/smoked-salmon-tart?recipe_id=384eb5f8-2aff-11e9-8802-7daf07a34f81"><img src="https://ui.assets-asda.com/dm/asdagroceries/384eb5f8-2aff-11e9-8802-7daf07a34f81_Square?scl=1"></a>
<h3><a href="https://www.asda.com/good-living/recipe/smoked-salmon-tart?recipe_id=384eb5f8-2aff-11e9-8802-7daf07a34f81" target="_blank">Smoked Salmon Tart</a></h3>
<center><p>30 mins | £1.69pp | Serves 10</p></center>
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<a href="https://www.asda.com/good-living/recipe/oshizushi-pressed-sushi?recipe_id=da694f44-4006-11ee-837d-4521a16b3805"><img src="https://ui.assets-asda.com/dm/asdagroceries/da694f44-4006-11ee-837d-4521a16b3805_Square?scl=1"></a>
<h3><a href="https://www.asda.com/good-living/recipe/oshizushi-pressed-sushi?recipe_id=da694f44-4006-11ee-837d-4521a16b3805" target="_blank">Oshizushi - Pressed Sushi</a></h3>
<center><p>1 hr 45 mins | £2.91pp | Serves 2</p></center>
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<p>Feeling inspired to try something new with smoked salmon? Stock up on everything you need at <a href="https://groceries.asda.com/?utm_source=referral&utm_medium=article_salmon-meet-the-tastemakers&utm_campaign=Good-Living" target="_blank">Asda</a> or pop into <a href="https://storelocator.asda.com/" target="_blank">your local store</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

Salmon - Meet the Tastemakers

By Asda Good Living,3rd October 2022

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