What is smoked salmon heart?
Salmon heart is the choice cut from the most fleshy and noble part of the salmon, the back. Salmon heart is tender and delicate.
Origins of salmon Astara
Salmon are anadromous fish: they live in the sea, then swim up rivers to reproduce and lay their eggs. There are 2 main origins for salmon: Atlantic & Pacific. As a general rule, Atlantic salmon (Salmo Salar) is considered the best salmon. It comes mainly from Scandinavia (Norway, Denmark), Scotland and Ireland. It is often farmed, naturally pink and delicately flavored.
Know-how of excellence
7 steps are required to process the heart of smoked salmon: filleting, trimming, salting, desalting, smoking, maturing and slicing. The majority of Astara salmon is salted entirely by hand using fine salt, according to ancestral techniques. Fillets are left to rest for at least 12 hours to allow the salted/smoked alchemy to develop. The slicers make all the cuts by hand, for an extremely precise result. Hand slicing respects the structure of the salmon, preserving all its finesse and taste subtlety.
Beechwood cold smoked
Astara smoked salmon is cold-smoked for 3 hours, to obtain the best smoked salmon. Smoking can take up to 4 hours, depending on the thickness of the strip and the fat content. The fish is then impregnated with the smoke, giving it a distinctive taste and color.
Salmon hearts from La Halle des Gourmets
Astara offers a range of choices: Norwegian, Scottish, Organic, 130g or 450g.
Varieties of salmon hearts
Organic smoked salmon heart
Smoked salmon qualifies for the "AB" label when the basic behavior of the fish is not altered. It must have sufficient space to respect the behavior specific to its nature, lighting conditions and good water quality (renewal, good oxygenation). If they are raised at sea, they must be kept away from other non-organic fish farms. Its diet must meet its physiological needs and contain no GMOs or antibiotics...
Heart of Smoked Salmon from Norway
Thanks to the purity of its coastal waters and the quality of its rivers and fjords, Norway is the ideal country for producing top-quality salmon. In fact, it is the world's leading producer. Astara offers a Norwegian salmon with smooth, melting flesh, light orange to dark pink in color, streaked with white. It is salted with dry salt and traditionally smoked over beechwood for 3 to 4 hours, depending on the size of the fillet, producing a fine, fragrant product.
Heart of Smoked Salmon from Scotland
The salt water of Scotland's wild coastline and the purity of the rivers flowing from the snow-capped peaks of the Highlands give Scottish salmon a unique taste and texture, making it one of the most appreciated by gourmets. The Scottish salmon always surprises with its incomparable taste and the finesse of its delicate, flavorful flesh. It is distinguished by its deep orange color and firm texture, salted with dry salt and cold-smoked with beechwood for 3 to 4 hours, depending on the size of the fillet. Raised on sea farms, it benefits from an exceptional rearing environment.
How to enjoy your smoked salmon heart
Tasting advice
Eat as is, on blinis with a little cream, rye bread and crunchy vegetables, or added to a lovely dish of fresh tagliatelle.
How to store smoked salmon?
The product should be stored at a maximum temperature of +4°C. Vacuum-packed salmon can be kept for 21 days. It's best to open the packaging and take the salmon out 15 minutes before eating, simply to allow it to warm up and return to a temperature of 20°C. This allows the flavors to develop to the full. It should be prepared at the last minute. It denatures very quickly in contact with air. It hardens and oxidizes. Once opened, the product generally keeps for 2 to 4 days in the refrigerator.
Recipes and culinary combinations
Smoked salmon heart is a refined product that marries well with neutral ingredients to preserve its aromatic subtlety. It goes very well with crème fraîche, dill, capers, red onion pickles, lemon, fresh cheeses, ricotta or burrata, potatoes, fresh tagliatelle, tartines.
Place a dice of smoked salmon heart on rye bread, blini or crackers for an iodized aperitif. Here are a few recipe ideas using smoked salmon hearts: Tartar with smoked salmon heart and avocado, Salad with smoked salmon heart and grapefruit, Blini with heart and dill cream, Wraps with smoked salmon heart, cucumber and fromage frais, Spring rolls with smoked salmon heart, Quiche with smoked salmon heart and spinach, Pasta with smoked salmon heart and lemon, Bruschetta with smoked salmon heart and cherry tomatoes, Scrambled eggs with smoked salmon heart and chives.
As for the choice of wine to accompany it, a brut "blanc de blanc" champagne is recommended. It can also be accompanied by a white Burgundy, Chablis, Mâcon or Meursault, for example.
Our products Astara to complete your iodine experience
Astara smoked salmon is available in several formats for different uses: smoked salmon hearts, smoked salmon slices, whole smoked salmon. Hand slicing respects the structure of the salmon, preserving all the finesse and subtlety of its flavors. The art of slicing is part of the traditional know-how respected at Astara.
Wild Salmon Eggs
Salmon roe, also known as red caviar, has a long tradition of celebration, especially in Russia! Keta (Alaska) wild salmon roe is large, firm and naturally orange. Once in the mouth, they burst into life, releasing a creamy sensation and an assertive iodized taste.
Exceptional caviars
Whether you're a seasoned connoisseur or an amateur eager to discover caviar, Astara promises an unforgettable taste adventure, marked by quality and finesse. Discover our full range of caviars: Titanium caviar, Baeri caviar, Osciètre caviar, Beluga caviar.
Guaranteed refrigerated delivery
We ensure that the cold chain is respected throughout your delivery. All orders containing salmon are carefully packed in an isothermal bag, accompanied by an ice pack, then dispatched from France by the ChronoFresh refrigerated delivery service in France and Europe (Luxembourg, Belgium and Spain only). All that's left to do is add your favorite product to the shopping basket for delivery to your home.
