Most people are unaware that smoked salmon emerged from the East End of London around the turn of the last century, when Jewish immigrants from Eastern Europe, wistful for the taste of home, started preserving fish in the traditional methods of Poland and Ukraine. When they realised they could buy salmon from Scotland cheaper and fresher than the Baltic, a tradition was born: Scotch salmon cured in London.
Initially for enclaves of Eastern Europeans in Stepney Green and the environs, smoked salmon became a prized delicacy, served only at celebrations and special occasions, and not widely available for sale. Until the 1980s a dozen smokehouses thrived in London. Like with so many gourmet foods, this tradition was undermined by the heavy handed intervention of agricultural subsidies and supermarkets. The former encouraged nascent Scottish salmon farms to produce cheap salmon and open their own industrial smoking facilities up north. The latter demanded cheaper food to sell in greater quantities. In 30 years, salmon smokehouses in London dwindled away and smoked salmon became ubiquitous, but with drastically varying levels of quality. Automating processes previously done by hand, and introducing additives and shortcuts as cost saving measures, compromised the very essence of this historic food.
When it comes to salmon, smoke should not be a flavour, but a process. Smoky flavours stick to the palate and linger, overwhelming delicate flavours. Top notch smoked salmon should taste only of the freshest fish, and the curing ingredient, namely salt. Indeed, the skill of making smoked salmon lies in the curing process. Smoking, the final step, is a preservative. It produces a hard crust around the fish, which is removed in its entirety, revealing the soft flesh underneath. Both smoke and lemon are often used to mute the taste of poor quality or less fresh fish, and supermarkets have sought to bolster the misguided concept that our salmon should be smoky. Some companies go so far as to inject the salmon flesh with liquid smoke, or in an attempt to accelerate the production process, will smoke the salmon too much too quickly. Sugar, in particular, should never appear in salmon, but all too often it is a key ingredient, as it extends shelf life, helps the salmon retain moisture, and balances out overly bitter tones of a poor smoking process. A good indicator of the quality of salmon is if it contains sugar – if you see it on the packet, put it back down on the shelf!
At Forman’s we continue to smoke fish the way we have done for over 100 years: by hand. 90% of fish in the UK is filleted by machine – and as machines can’t handle extremely fresh fish, this means you are consuming a less fresh product. Here, fish comes to us within 48 hours of being pulled from water, and we fillet the old fashioned way, with a sharp knife. We then cure and smoke it with the ribcage and pin bones for two days. After slicing off the crusty pellicle and removing the bones with tweezers, the salmon is ready to eat – no further steps or ingredients are involved. We have been approved by the UK government for an EU protected geographical indication, cementing the history and tradition of our London Cure salmon. When (and if) rubber stamped by the EU, this will be the first time such protection has been awarded to a food in London and awards us a status similar to Melton Mowbray pork pies or a Cornish pasty. As we have grown and recognised the importance of supporting small-scale British suppliers, our range has diversified. Our restaurant and mail order catalogue showcase the finest English food, from Chapel Down English wines to farmers working with rare breed, ethically reared meats. The same ethos is applied throughout: only the best ingredients, and absolutely no short cuts.