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River
Test Smokery
Ltd. |
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Orders and Enquiries... |
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The Traditional Cold Smoking Process Smoking fish the traditional way is highly labour-intensive, requiring careful attention to each one of the various stages. The fish are first frozen for a minimum of 12 hours, to ensure that ‘rigor mortis’ (which helps in the smoking process) has set in. They are then thawed out in clean water, before being cleaned and gutted and the two side fillets removed. These are then covered in pure dried vacuum (pvd) salt for one hour per pound, to ensure that any potentially harmful bacteria are killed off. This leaves a residual salty flavour, the fine balance of which is key to the process. After the fillets are removed from the salt, and the excess washed off, they are hung in the kiln until air-dried.
They are then smoked over oak shavings for 12-15 hours, during which time the smoke and the heat have to be checked hourly, to ensure that the smoking process is correct and the temperature inside the kiln kept below 28c. The smoking stage is usually performed in the afternoon or evening but in the summer time it has to be restricted to evenings only, as the weather plays a vital role in the traditional process and outside temperatures, humidity, wind and rain are all factors which have to be taken carefully into consideration. Once the fillets have been smoked they are left to hang in the kiln, untouched for 5-6 hours, to allow time for them to mature and enhance the flavour. The fillets are then carefully boned and trimmed ready for slicing. Most trout are thinly sliced, by hand, in full length slices, and interleaved before vacuum packing. With the increasing number of large trout being brought to the smokery, we can offer the option of packaging the slices into 200gm packs – ideal for two people. Based on the preferences of the smokery’s faithful clientele, built up over the years, fish are normally dropped off at any time up to dusk, and left in the chest freezer in the reception area, outside the main entrance, clearly ticketed with the date and the name, telephone number and, preferably the address, of the fisherman. When they have been smoked the fisherman is advised by telephone that his fish are ready for collection and he or she can then pick them up, at their leisure, from one of the refrigerators in the collection area. If collection is during business hours payment can be made over the counter. Otherwise fishermen are trusted to put the money into one of the envelopes provided and post it through the door. For orders or enquiries please: Phone: +44 (0) 1264 860 813 |
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