No-one likes to be typecast as a ‘one-trick’ fish, which helps explain, why today the noble Scottish salmon is enjoying a new, more flamboyant lease of life under the thoughtful tutelage of James Eagle and The Pished Fish team.
Scottish salmon has long been admired as a noble, ‘real food’ hero, a symbol of our island’s fine food traditions, where impeccable good taste meets healthier meat alternative.
And yet, for all salmon’s undoubted fine food qualities and nutritional gravitas (great source of Omega -3 fatty acids, potassium and b-vitamins) there’s was no getting away from the fact that despite being perceived as an indulgent, safe pair of fins, salmon hasn’t felt the same level of decadent love hitherto reserved for Welsh lamb, Hereford beef or even Gressingham duck. Until now salmon’s more rakish urges have stayed safely under wraps.
A few years ago however James Eagle (The Pished Fish founder) felt the time had arrived to change all that, helping the undisputed king of the North Sea to cast off its inhibitions and showcase an altogether more outlandish rock & roll persona, by effortlessly partnering this noble fish with a wide array of high-quality spirits and botanicals before diligently smoking them in small batches over a diverse collection of aromatic woods.
Whether we’re talking Augustus Gloop (salmon with blueberries & vodka) Dark & Stormy (salmon with rum, ginger, lime zest and Agave honey OR Sozzled Santa (brandy, cinnamon, clementine & nutmeg) The Pished Fish effortlessly accommodates any mood, occasion or flavour leaning.
The success of The Pished Fish has a lot to do with its naturally affable nature (willingness to mingle with any number of fantastical flavours) and its unrivalled capacity to retain and showcase the flavours with which it’s paired (James and his team have embraced a Japanese sashimi cutting style, which is geared to help salmon retain the flavours with which it’s being affiliated).
However, shining a light on salmon’s more cultured tendencies was only ever half the battle, it was also imperative to broaden salmon’s ‘everyday occasion’ appeal, which is why today the business’s focus extends to dips, snacking, bet that smoked salmon candy (salmon slathered in maple syrup & dehydrated), hot-smoked salmon (an idyllic honey/bourbon blend smoked over hickory for an extra Texas twang) OR Gilltong ( a cross between salmon biltong/jerky where salmon has been marinated in teriyaki, honey, Tabasco sauce and black pepper).
This Autumn will see the team’s work day and night to fashion the ultimate Fish Pie.
In Essence, The Pished Fish has placed salmon on a new indulgent pedestal showing that great taste, adventurous recipes and healthier living can all happily co-exist.
Thepishedfish.com
