Cured Salmon - Meet the Tastemakers

‘If the salmon on your plate is the very best it can be, Paul Terris probably has something to do with it. But what is the cured salmon/New York connection? The seafood champion explains all.

‘The spice blend does something to the salmon so that it’s almost bright orangey pink – it looks very vibrant on the plate’.

It’s actually cured, not smoked,’ Paul Terris, Senior Development Manager at Sofina Foods, explains, as we go deeper into the process of readying one of Asda’s hero products this Christmas – the Extra Special Cured Salmon Finished in a Signature Spices.  

Paul is part of a team in the seafood division at Sofina Foods (encompassing household name Young’s Seafood) that develops and launches new products. ‘We actually produce all of Asda’s hot and cold smoked salmon and supply a lot of its mackerel and other raw fish, too – it is one of our biggest customers,’ he shares. 

After his 11 years at the business, you can see that Paul knows a thing or two about curing and smoking fish and is passionate about the process. ‘All our salmon is from approved farms in Scotland. We take it in as a whole salmon, so then we fillet it on site and next it is cured,’ Paul says. 

New York Style

But it’s the next stage that provides the fish with its extremely unique, slightly sweet flavour that makes it so special for Christmas, Paul explains: ‘We sprinkle it with the signature pastrami blend, which we make on site. It’s got about 15 ingredients in it including black pepper, smoked paprika, star anise, garlic, ginger and cinnamon,’ he says. 

Much like Asda’s other suppliers, Paul and the team went through several rounds of careful honing, all to ensure the flavour was spot on and that it didn’t overpower the delicate salmon. ‘When we were developing the product for Asda, we could see the rise of New York-style cuisine, so things like pastrami and Reubens* were becoming very popular, and we thought that this combination would work really well to create something that tastes extra special with fish. We did try it using smoked salmon, but the flavours were far too heavy, hence the curing,’ Paul says. It’s after the seasoning that the product is sliced and packed ready for your Christmas Day feast. ‘The spice blend does something to the salmon and makes it almost bright orangey-pink – it looks very vibrant on the plate,’ he says.

*A sandwich made with rye bread, usually filled with corned beef, sauerkraut, Swiss cheese, a dressing and then served hot.

Star Salmon

So, if you’re a smoked salmon connoisseur, why does the Extra Special Cured Salmon Finished in a Signature Spices deserve a space at your festive spread, we ask Paul: ‘It’s got a bit more flavour to it than smoked salmon. It’s punchy, it’s decadent, it’s quite in-your-face, almost, while still allowing the salmon to be the star. That is always the aim with how we treat any products – the fish needs to remain the hero and the flavours are there to support it,’ he says. 

For the big day, Paul recommends kicking off your meal in style with a simple starter where the salmon can really shine. ‘You have to have a seafood starter at Christmas. It’s a great product to get people talking and it’s easy to prepare. Because of all the flavours, just serve with some freshly sliced buttered bread – you can play on the pastrami theme and use rye bread if you like – a few salad leaves and a good squeeze of lemon. I’ll definitely be having some!’

Inspired by our Tastemakers story?

Try replace the smoked salmon with our Cured Salmon Finished in a Signature Spices in these simple Christmas starter dishes...

Why not try a salmon starter this Christmas? Make sure to stock up on everything you need at Asda or pop into your local store.