Northern Symphony

Northern Symphony: Four Smoked Fish, One Board

A set built around contrast rather than variety for its own sake. Salmon is the familiar one, silky and mild. Steelhead is firmer and more assertive. Black cod is the richest thing we smoke — the fat is almost creamy. Escolar is the surprise: velvety, mild, and unlike anything else here. Put them side by side and each one tastes more like itself.

What Is Inside

• Smoked Salmon. Silky and tender. The one everybody recognises, and the safe place to start a board.
• Steelhead Trout. Firmer than salmon with a bolder finish. Holds its own next to strong accompaniments.
• Black Cod. Buttery to the point of melting. Cut it thinner than the rest — a little goes a long way.
• Escolar. Velvety and mild, with almost no fishiness. Rich enough that small portions are the point — see the note below.

How to Serve It

Take the whole set out of the fridge twenty minutes before serving. Cold fat is stiff and mutes everything — this single step changes more than any garnish.

• Order matters. Work from mild to rich: salmon, steelhead, escolar, black cod. Going the other way flattens the delicate ones.
• Keep the accompaniments plain. Bread, boiled potatoes, cucumber, a squeeze of lemon. The fish is the flavour; everything else is a reset.
• Slice thin. Especially the black cod and escolar. Thin slices read as generous and eat better than thick ones.
• To drink. Crisp white wine or cold vodka. Anything sweet fights the smoke.

A Note on Escolar

Escolar is prized for its buttery texture, and it comes with a caveat we would rather you hear from us. Its fat is indigestible for humans, and larger portions can cause stomach upset in some people. The fix is simple: treat it as a tasting portion — a slice or two rather than a plateful — and you get all of the texture with none of the trouble. If you have not had it before, start small.

Keeping It

Sealed and refrigerated at 32–39°F, the pieces hold for up to three weeks. Once opened, press the air out, reseal, and eat within three to five days. The black cod and escolar are the most sensitive — their richness fades with air exposure long before anything spoils.

Fuller guidance is in our storage guide.

Common Questions

How many people does this serve? As part of a spread with other food, six to eight. As the centrepiece, four. Smoked fish gets picked at steadily across an evening rather than eaten in one go.

Which piece should I open first? Salmon, if guests are unsure. Black cod, if you want the moment where someone stops talking mid-sentence.

Is this a good gift? It is the set we send most often. Four distinct things beats one large piece when you do not know someone's taste — and we can pack it as a gift box, see our gift page.