Smoking Hot - And Cold!

Undoubtedly one of Scotland’s finest culinary pleasures, Smoked Salmon is as versatile as it is delicious. Whether gracing the tables of luxury banquets, packaged into welcome baskets for visiting dignitaries or generously sliced between two bits of bread you will find this age-old recipe has stood the test of time and endured through many a foodie trend or fashionable eating phase.

Perhaps the simplicity of the dish itself is why it has succeeded where others have failed; in its essence it is a preserving method, first brought to the UK in the late 1800s by East European immigrants.  To begin with, the salmon was imported from the Baltic but on discovering wild Scottish Salmon the native fish became the catch of choice. Superior in quality and taste, it didn’t take long for this wonderful food to become a gourmet option amongst delicatessens of the time.

However, its origins go back further than that; Smoked salmon has featured in the cultures of the Native Americans centuries and was also a common dish in Greek and Roman culture.  The first smoking factory can be dated back to Poland in the 7th century A.D but it wasn’t until the 19th century, and the rise of the American smoked salmon industry and the move from East Europe to the UK, the dish became readily available.

Here at George Campbell & Sons, we smoke our salmon in the shop kiln.  It has been one of our most popular products for generations and has evolved to include the Nordic speciality, Gravadlax, delicious seaweed cured variation and in light of current trends a particularly good gin cure!

Our raw salmon product comes from the Scottish Hebrides and is quality, farmed fish of superior grade.  We use our own recipe secret cure – which has just a little demerara sugar in the mix – and soak overnight before it goes into the kiln.  Everything starts as cold smoked – so a temperature of around 24 degrees – over oak chips to give it a subtle flavour. 

Flavours such as the gin and seaweed are added at cure stage and as with our fish and other ingredients, we source only the very best in Scottish artisan products.  The wild seaweed is hand harvested by Mara Seaweed on the west coast of Scotland and is a mix of shony, kombu and dulse. Gins are sourced from any number of Scottish artisans but we prefer a traditional, juniper led spirit to ensure the quality and flavour we’ve come to enjoy.

Hot Smoked Salmon spends less time in the cure and more time in the kiln – with the temperature rising as you’d expect from the name! This slight variation in processing methods makes for a marked difference in end products and to this end, brings even more versatility to this wonderful delicacy.

Hot Smoked: an excellent meaty fillet, ideal for salads or flaked through pasta sauces. Makes an excellent filling for baked potatoes when mixed with lemon juice mayonnaise.

Cold Smoked: Thin, translucent slices of delicious salmon can be found on many a charcuterie board, topping cream cheese for the perfect bagel or draped over scrambled eggs for the breakfast of kings!

Whole Sides: the dinner party or buffet centre piece guaranteed to bring the WOW factor!

Drop into the deli where you will find vacuum packs sold in 100gms | 200gms | 500gms

• Smoked Salmon
• Seaweed cured Smoked Salmon
• Edinburgh Gin Cured Smoked Salmon
• Gravadlax
• Hot smoked Gravadlax
• Hot smoked Salmon
• Order a whole side for collection by ringing 01738 638454.