When Rob sent me this photo over the weekend - and even though I had already eaten - I got immediately hungry.
The picture is of his cold smoked pollock, and I hope you'll let me tell you what Rob told me.
He’s been catching lots of pollock recently, as now is peak season. They move inshore to spawn and are in plentiful supply, especially around the many reefs and wrecks in Falmouth Bay.
Rob catches them from his 5.5m boat using rod and lines or handlines only. He then dispatches them quickly, bleeding them and gutting them immediately to ensure the best possible quality.
The fish are landed within a few hours of being caught. Rob then fillets, brines and dries them. Then he cold smokes the fillets for about 8 hours over either apple or cherry wood. The cold smoking helps preserve them and gives them a beautiful gentle smoky flavour, but it doesn’t cook them (like hot smoking does).
As you would hope and expect, nothing else is added. No colouring, no weird additives, no sneaky flavourings. Nada.
Just fish, salt and smoke.
The end result, Rob tells me, is very delicate - and incredibly delicious.
I can’t wait to try it, and hope that you will too.
The market opens tomorrow at 7am. (Don't forget to remind your pals who aren't yet subscribed.)
Nick
PS – Rob uses the pollock heads and frames for lobster bait, so literally nothing is wasted.
PPS - He's also hot smoked some herring (buckling, photo below) and mackerel too 😁
The picture is of his cold smoked pollock, and I hope you'll let me tell you what Rob told me.
He’s been catching lots of pollock recently, as now is peak season. They move inshore to spawn and are in plentiful supply, especially around the many reefs and wrecks in Falmouth Bay.
Rob catches them from his 5.5m boat using rod and lines or handlines only. He then dispatches them quickly, bleeding them and gutting them immediately to ensure the best possible quality.
The fish are landed within a few hours of being caught. Rob then fillets, brines and dries them. Then he cold smokes the fillets for about 8 hours over either apple or cherry wood. The cold smoking helps preserve them and gives them a beautiful gentle smoky flavour, but it doesn’t cook them (like hot smoking does).
As you would hope and expect, nothing else is added. No colouring, no weird additives, no sneaky flavourings. Nada.
Just fish, salt and smoke.
The end result, Rob tells me, is very delicate - and incredibly delicious.
I can’t wait to try it, and hope that you will too.
The market opens tomorrow at 7am. (Don't forget to remind your pals who aren't yet subscribed.)
Nick
PS – Rob uses the pollock heads and frames for lobster bait, so literally nothing is wasted.
PPS - He's also hot smoked some herring (buckling, photo below) and mackerel too 😁
