Approx. 200g piece.
Originally made for Sally Barnes’ daughters, who did not like fish at the time, Sally developed a strategy by cold smoking the tuna in an effort to pass it off as smoked bacon. Aside from the fact that this did indeed work, the new product created is uniquely remarkable and one of the favourites here at Woodcock Smokery.
Cold smoking means that the proteins do not denature, and the fats do not separate from the proteins, which happens in the hot smoking process. This makes for delicious, firm, buttery-textured fish with very light salt and a beautiful hum of beech smoke in the background.
Albacore is highly seasonal in Irish waters, appearing in late summer in large numbers and is caught by the local vessels of the southwest of Ireland. Unlike yellowfin and bluefin tuna, which most of us recognise, albacore is white-fleshed, smaller than other specii and there is a reasonable quota for the Irish fleet.
During the 1980s, when wild salmon stocks started to decline, Sally Barnes actively sought alternative fatty fish. The local boats had started fishing for albacore, which Spanish and French vessels had been fishing for off the Irish coast for decades. As it has a good fat content, this lends itself fabulously to the smoking process.
Recipe ideas
Cold smoked albacore tuna is delicious sliced thinly and dipped into garlic ginger and shoyu or chopped into cubes with a squeeze of lime, chopped parsley, capers and an egg yolk… fab! And, of course, diced and fried for tuna carbonara. Check out some of Sally’s recipes here >
Approx. 200g piece.
Originally made for Sally Barnes’ daughters, who did not like fish at the time, Sally developed a strategy by cold smoking the tuna in an effort to pass it off as smoked bacon. Aside from the fact that this did indeed work, the new product created is uniquely remarkable and one of the favourites here at Woodcock Smokery.
Cold smoking means that the proteins do not denature, and the fats do not separate from the proteins, which happens in the hot smoking process. This makes for delicious, firm, buttery-textured fish with very light salt and a beautiful hum of beech smoke in the background.
Albacore is highly seasonal in Irish waters, appearing in late summer in large numbers and is caught by the local vessels of the southwest of Ireland. Unlike yellowfin and bluefin tuna, which most of us recognise, albacore is white-fleshed, smaller than other specii and there is a reasonable quota for the Irish fleet.
During the 1980s, when wild salmon stocks started to decline, Sally Barnes actively sought alternative fatty fish. The local boats had started fishing for albacore, which Spanish and French vessels had been fishing for off the Irish coast for decades. As it has a good fat content, this lends itself fabulously to the smoking process.
Recipe ideas
Cold smoked albacore tuna is delicious sliced thinly and dipped into garlic ginger and shoyu or chopped into cubes with a squeeze of lime, chopped parsley, capers and an egg yolk… fab! And, of course, diced and fried for tuna carbonara. Check out some of Sally’s recipes here >
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