Christmas Smoked Salmon is a no-brainer – it’s delicious, requires no cooking or preparation (bread, butter, lemon juice) and will keep everyone happy.
Our Smoked Salmon comes from Springs Smokery in West Sussex and it is seriously good. Smoked in the traditional way using whole oak logs from woodland around Arundel, this is a gentle smoke using great quality salmon. It is finely balanced, being not too salty, smoky or greasy, but light, well flavoured and delicious.
It is also great value – you can buy a pack for less than a fiver, and a whole side is £33 which will keep the masses happy for a long time. It makes a great present, but is also ideal for a luxury Christmas Breakfast with scambled eggs, or a delicious light pasta or salad after all the heavy feasting.
Springs Smokery is based in Edburton, West Sussex.
They fillet, skin and bone every salmon by hand. No machine could offer the expert eye, and precision with the knife, of Jose and Paul, the resident filleters and smokers.
The fillets are cured in the manner developed thousands of years ago: coated in dry salt. Nothing more, and certainly no colourings, preservatives or additives of any kind.
A day later, the fish are suspended in brick kilns over smouldering logs of Sussex oak. Springs use whole logs – not chips or shavings – since they flavour the salmon more delicately. The cold smoking can take up to 30 hours; up to three times longer than many commercial producers.
For over a half-century of smoking, Springs Smokery have used Sussex oak from the forests around Arundel. They rightly believe that no other oak flavours scents their salmon so fully yet subtly.