Every day in the program "Historically yours" on Europe 1, Olivier Poels looks back on the origins of a dish.
On Wednesday, he looks at the smoking technique, the oldest in the world.
The chef also takes the opportunity to deliver his recipe for smoked salmon.
At table !
>> It is an ancestral conservation method still widely used today. In the program "Historically yours" on Europe 1, chef Olivier Poels examines the origin of smoking, a technique used since the Paleolithic to preserve the catch from hunting and fishing. Then, the chef took the opportunity to deliver his recipe for smoked salmon.
>> Find all the shows of Matthieu Noël and Stéphane Bern in replay and podcast here
A technique that dates back to prehistoric times
Our ancestors had already discovered that by smoking meat or fish, it allowed better conservation thanks to dehydration which slows down rotting.
But that's not all.
The smoke acts as an antiseptic and will kill bacteria.
This technique is so effective that it is still commonly used today, especially by certain peoples of the far North.
As for French gastronomy and smoked salmon, it is estimated that it arrived on the tables of France between the 14th and the 15th century.
Moreover, Guillaume Tirel (1312-1395), French cook to whom we attribute the paternity of
Viandier
, the most famous cookbook of the Middle Ages, already mentioned this dish in another work.
At that time, smoked salmon was reserved for a certain elite, since it was found in particular on the royal table of Charles V (1500-1558).
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A product made affordable in the 20th century
It was only much later that smoked salmon would become the popular dish we know today, thanks to Robert Labeyrie.
The industrialist, also known for the foie gras, will create a company after the Second World War which will contribute to the industrialization of the smoking of salmon, but especially to propel this product on the shelves of supermarkets.
How to smoke your fish?
But it is possible to make it even more affordable, by doing it yourself.
To do this, just follow the guide.
The first thing to do is to buy a fillet of salmon of one and a half kilograms and if possible freeze it.
Since smoking is different from standard cooking, certain bacteria must be prevented from developing.
When you want, take the salmon out of the freezer, salt it with about a kilo of coarse salt and 15 grams of sugar.
Film it before putting it in the refrigerator for at least 12 hours, which will allow the salt to soak up.
When the time is up, run the fish underwater to remove the excess.
Then comes the decisive step of smoking.
To do this, arm yourself with a wok or a casserole dish in which you will pour 200 grams of beech sawdust.
Put on the fire and place the salmon on a rack positioned halfway up.
Close everything with a lid and wait between 4 and 6 hours, the time for the salmon to soak up the smoke.
Be careful, however, if the fire is going to go out since it is deprived of oxygen, it is advisable to stay nearby.
If the thought of cooking your fish on a homemade smoker doesn't reassure you, there is another way you can do it.
With Lapsang Souchong smoked tea: just mix it with salt and sugar before filming your salmon fillets.
Ingredients :
- 1 nice salmon fillet with skin (1.5 kg) thawed
- 1 kg of coarse salt
- 25 g of mixture of 5 berries
- 15 g of sugar
- 10 cl of oil
- sawdust
The summary of the recipe:
1.
Mix salt, sugar and berries and rub the salmon with this mixture
2.
Film it and put it in the fridge for 1 night
3.
Rinse the salmon in clean water and brush it with oil.
4.
Make a smoker in a casserole dish by wedging a gille halfway up (you can use a wok)
5.
Light the sawdust and let burn for 1 or 2 minutes
6.
Smother the fire
7.
Place the salmon skin side down on the grill and leave to smoke for at least 3 hours