Legend has it that more than two thousand years ago Druids left oak-smoked salmon as an offering to the great Dagda, God of the pagan Irish. In the fifth century, oak-smoked salmon was served at a feast in the banqueting hall at Tara, the seat of the high kings of Ireland. The ancient Irish hero Finn McCool reportedly gained the gift of knowledge simply from cooking and tasting salmon.
Folklore aside, smoking salmon has always had a practical side as well, namely as one of the primary ways to preserve food as a winter provision. Fortunately, the practice is alive and well today in smokehouses throughout the country, continuing the tradition that keeps it one of Ireland’s most treasure foods. And, lucky for us, two of Ireland’s most revered smokehouses offered these smoked salmon recipes for my newest cookbook Delicious Ireland. To order a signed copy, visit irishcook.com.
(Clockwise, from top left) SMOKED SALMON WITH BROWN BREAD, Kivona | Dreamstime; HOT SMOKING MACKEREL AT FRANK HEDERMAN, Cobh, Co. Cork, Margaret M Johnson; TASTE THE ATLANTIC-THE SALMON EXPERIENCE, Lisdoonvarna, Co. Clare, Margaret M. Johnson; HOT SMOKING SALMON, Alexander Groffen | Dreamstime; SEAWEED SMOKED SALMON, Margaret M. Johnson
HOT SMOKED SALMON CHOWDER
Serves 6
The Burren Smokehouse smokes organic Irish salmon using both hot and cold smoking methods, flavoring some with spices, some with honey, whiskey and fennel, and another with honey, lemon, and pepper that’s used in this recipe for salmon chowder. Serve it with brown bread.
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
3 medium leeks (white and light green parts only), rinsed and sliced
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 large russet potato, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 celery stalk, chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 cups canned low-sodium vegetable broth
2 tablespoons tomato purée
2 cups milk
13 ounces Hot Smoked Salmon with Honey, Lemon, and Pepper, flaked
1/2 cup heavy (whipping) cream
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives, for garnish
1. In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil. over medium-low heat. Add the leeks; cook for 2 minutes, or until soft but not browned. Add the garlic, potato, celery, salt, and pepper; stir to coat. Add the broth; simmer for about 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender.
2. Stir in the tomato purée and milk. Return the soup to simmer (do not boil). Stir in the salmon. When heated through, gently stir in the cream.
3. To serve, ladle the chowder into shallow bowls; garnish with chives. Serve with brown bread.
CHILLI-SMOKED SALMON FRITTERS
Makes about 25
Frank Hederman’s smoked products, perfected over the course of 40 years, are among Ireland’s most coveted foods. Inspired by a tapas-like snack found in Portugal, a friend of Hederman’s created this recipe using Hot Smoked Salmon with Chillis for a delicious fritter that strikes a simultaneous sweet, savory, tangy flavor. (Alternately, use plain smoked salmon and add a pinch of chilli flakes). Serve the fritters with sweet chilli-lime sauce.
2 1/2 cup mashed potatoes
1 small onion, chopped
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
10 ounces Hederman’s Hot Smoked Salmon with Chilis, flaked
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 large egg, beaten
1 tablespoon flour
Sunflower oil, for frying
Mixed greens, for garnish
1. In a large bowl, combine potatoes, onion, parsley, salmon, salt, and pepper; mix well. Stir in egg and flour; mix again.
2. Divide the mixture into about 25 evenly sized pieces; shape into small ovals or rounds.
Transfer fritters to a parchment-lined baking sheet; refrigerate for about 2 hours, or until chilled.
3. In a deep saucepan or fryer, heat the oil to 350°F. Working in batches, drop 5 to 6 fritters at a time into the oil; fry for about 1 minute, or until crisp and golden. With a slotted spoon, transfer to a wire rack set over a baking sheet (do not use a paper towel as this creates soggy rather than crisp fritters). Return the oil temperature to 350°F for each batch.
4. To serve, arrange fritters on a platter; serve with sauce and celeriac remoulade, if desired. Garnish with mixed greens.
SWEET CHILI-LIME SAUCE
In a small bowl, whisk together, 1 cup Greek yogurt, 1 tablespoon sweet chili sauce, 2 teaspoons fresh lime juice, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Makes about 1 cup
Best of the Best: Irish Smokehouses
FRANK HEDERMAN smokes organically farmed salmon in Belvelly, County Cork, in one of only a handful of authentic traditional timber smokehouses in Ireland. He sources his salmon from the waters near Clare Island off the west coast of Ireland, and from May to mid-August he buys fish caught by local fishermen in the estuary of Cork’s River Lee. Hederman uses a dry-salt cure and hangs his fish in small batches on tenterhooks over a beechwood fire. He also smokes mussels, eel, mackerel, butter, spices, nuts, seeds, and sundried tomatoes. To arrange a smokehouse tour, visit frankhederman.com.
THE BURREN SMOKEHOUSE in Lisdoonvarna, County Clare, is a combination smokehouse, visitor center, and gourmet food shop operated by the Curtin family. They produce organic oak-smoked salmon, trout, and mackerel in a facility that includes an exhibition kiln; smoke box; audio-visual presentation; and most recently, “Taste the Atlantic — The Salmon Experience,” an interactive visitor space where the story of salmon is told from its place in mythology to its role in modern aquaculture. To book a tour or order online, visit burrensmokehouse.com.
Anthony Creswell smokes organically farmed salmon in Timoleague, County Cork. In addition to smoking salmon, UMMERA SMOKED PRODUCTS include gravadlax, smoked chicken, smoked duck, and dry cured bacon. To arrange a visit or order online, visit ummera.com.
Declan Droney and his wife Aoife founded KINVARA SMOKED SALMON nearly 25 years ago in his native County Galway. Initially, they focused on wild salmon but their concern about its sustainability led them to switch to smoking organic smoked salmon. They continue to focus only on smoking salmon, which is available online at kinvarasmokehouse.com.
CONNEMARA SMOKEHOUSE in Ballyconnelley, County Galway, is one of Ireland’s oldest traditional smokehouses. Located on the edge of Connemara, it’s been owned and operated by the Roberts family for three generations. They use traditional smoking methods for their products, which include organic salmon, gravadlax, mackerel, and tuna. To arrange a visit or to shop online, visit smokehouse.ie.
Sally Barnes smokes “only and always wild fish” at her WOODCOCK SMOKERY in Castletownshend, County Cork. She started traditional smoke-curing in 1979 as a way to preserve the fish caught in the waters off of west Cork. She continues that tradition using only sustainable quantities of fish from local boats “during the very brief wild salmon season. A life-long preservationist, Barnes offers master classes on salmon-smoking, coastal produce and mushroom foraging, and hosts a tasting menu of her smoked products in The Keep, the space at her smokery where she shares the near-lost art of preserving wild food. For details on her products or events, visitwoodcocksmokery.com. From “Slaínte an bradáin chugat,” Delicious Ireland (2024)
Margaret Johnson’s “Recipes” page also includes “Ireland Hopping: Adventures in Food, Drink, and Travel.” For further details on her work, or to order a signed copy of any of her cookbooks, visit irishcook.com.
