Scottish Wild Salmon Company
The Bothy
Usan
Montrose ANGUS
DD10 9SG
 

Brining & Preparing
This stage one is as important as the smoking. The fish must be in prime condition and the brining strictly adhered to. Only the best Scottish wild salmon are selected. These are gutted and kept in ice until they are out of rigor and ready for filleting. The salmon is filleted and the fillets laid on a bed of salt. They are then coated in a layer of Demerara sugar and non-iodized salt.

The Smoking Process 
The sides are smoked for anything up to 48 hours in oak smoke. During this time the sides need to lose 15% of their moisture, and obtain the golden hue and traditional texture. The sawdust is only allowed to smoulder, so a layer of ice is placed on the sawdust and as this melts it dampens the surface layer of sawdust. This damp layer stops the sawdust from bursting into flames and so cooking the fish. The maximum temperature can only be 30°C.

The sides are then removed from the smoker. After 24 hours of chilling the hard edge of the skin is trimmed with scissors, the belly bones are removed with a sharp knife and the short pin bones are removed with tweezers. The side is now ready for slicing or packing.

Slicing
Smoked salmon is usually available in three forms - whole sides, sliced packs and sliced sides. If whole sides are required, no further processing is necessary, the side is simply vacuum packed, labelled and placed in chilled storage. If sliced packs are required, the side is placed on a board and a special scalloped blade is used.

For more ideas, view our recipe section

Scottish Wild Salmon Company - Side
Scottish Wild Salmon Company - Packs
     
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