I love doing my tasting sessions at the Smoke-House
In addition to my continuing to explore the relationship between salmon and oak wood smoke and salt I also get to meet so many extremely knowledgable folk that appreciate my endeavours but can also add their knowledge on the pure science of what I'm doing. I do my best to remember everything I've been taught so that I can then pass on this knowledge to future visitors.
I'm sure it's a subject where we'll never fully understand the complexities that make the flavours that I'm producing and that's the draw that keeps me wanting to smoke more salmon.
I'm slowly learning the science of whisky maturation and the fact that an oak barrel is never 'just' an oak barrel. All those flavours that the raw whisky spirit slowly absorbs into the alcohol in the barrel are the same flavours that I'm learning how to deposit onto the surface of the salted salmon fillet.
In short , as soon as I make the sawdust all of the compounds that I'm exposing to the atmosphere are starting to evaporate and oxidise and it's these same compounds that add flavour to whisky. I need to utilise the sawdust straight away in order to contain these compounds within the smoker environment and release other desirable compounds by igniting the sawdust and encouraging it to burn as cold as possible and encourage the smoke compounds to condense onto my salmon fillets.
Having a designated space where I can relax with my guests and introduce them to my world is for me extremely important. I feel that by accident and good fortune I've discovered a unique culinary flavour that is best appreciated in its home environment. Some of you will be familiar with the Japanese tea ceremony and the expression 'ichi go ichi e ' - one time , one place - like an unrepeatable moment. I firmly believe that the best place to savour my smoked salmon is in my tasting shed. Quietly nibbling on wee morsels of my product . No distractions and good conversation amongst friends and family. I believe that in the whisky world it is known as whisky appreciation.
If I type in to Google ' smoked salmon tasting ' I am top of the list . I was really surprised when I realised that ! Then I got to wondering why ... It's certainly not due to my having purposefully optimised anything for search engines and I don't advertise nationally . Then I looked at how many UK smokehouses actually offer tastings .... very few . And yet how many commercial smokehouses are there in the UK ? I guess it's best for you to draw your own conclusions . As for me , there's always the slight doubt that my smoked salmon won't be as I'd like it . Previous guests would testify that I nearly always start a tasting session with a whole side of salmon so I've no idea exactly how the fillet in front of me will taste. And I'm extremely fussy ! I'm acutely aware of this ! But for me it would be a terrible crime and an impossible burden on my conscience if I was to offer a guest even the smallest piece of my smoked salmon that I wasn't completely happy with ..... hence, No Hiding Place.
