Omega Bursts -- made from twice-smoke salmon
trimmings -- served on an open-face sandwich.
The name is appropriate. Each of these bite-sized chunks of double-smoked salmon belly truly bursts on the palate. And they're healthy to boot, says Frantzman. The trimmings contain up to 3.63 grams of Omega 3 fatty acids per 100 grams of fish, a company spokesman told me.
Like toro, the fat belly of bluefin tuna, so prized in Japanese sashimi that the giant fish has been brought to the verge of extinction, Atlantic salmon's belly meat is rich with these healthy fats. Americans, however, don't relish fatty textures like Japanese gourmands, so it gets trimmed away. But for those of us who do appreciate good, healthful fat, these thumbnail-sized explosions of flavor are buttery, sweet, salty, and smoky revelations.
Sullivan Harbor's Atlantic salmon is harvested from a farm in New Brunswick's Bay of Fundy and cold smoked in the Scottish tradition, using hickory wood and keeping the salmon's internal temperature no higher than 90º (and usually closer to 75º). The company also offers hot-smoked salmon, which reaches an internal temperature of 145º degrees, at which point it is essentially cooked, with the typical flaky texture of cooked fish. While hot-smoked is a favorite in the Pacific Northwest, silky-textured sides of Scottish-style cold-smoked salmon are far and away the preferred choice of customers in most other parts of the country.
Double smoking the trimmings, using the cold-smoking technique, Frantzman says, drives out a lot of moisture and concentrates flavor. Omega Bursts come in two flavors, maple-pepper or Cajun seasoned. I prefer maple-pepper for its true, delicate smokiness. The spicy Cajun, it seems to me, gets in the way of the salmon essence. Unopened packages, the company says, will keep up to 21 days in the refrigerator, and seven days after opening. I intend to keep a regular stock in my pantry.
One way to use these savory bits is in an open-faced sandwich, with bread and butter, just as you'd do with smoked salmon. I've also put Omega Bursts out on cocktail platters, all by themselves with a few toothpicks, and seen them disappear in a matter of minutes. And I've used them to great success scattered over a Caesar salad, in place of more ubiquitous anchovies and croutons, or to garnish a salad of arugola and bitter chicory. But the greatest accolades were earned by a classic French potage au cresson, a cream of watercress and potatoes, with Omega Bursts scattered over the top, a startlingly rich flavor and deep coral-pink color contrast to the green and pungent cress -- and a near perfect combination.
Omega Bursts can be ordered online from Sullivan Harbor Farm, or by phone at (800) 422-4014.
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