Although flamed salmon has been an open secret among all barbecue fans for some time now, it hasn't quite found its way into the household name yet. In this article, we want to introduce you to everything you need to know about flamed salmon. We will cover the following topics:
- What is Flame Salmon?
- Origin of the Flame Salmon
- Flame salmon as a grill trend
- What needs to be considered during preparation
- What makes our flame boards unique?
- The Modern flame board
- Simple instructions on how to make the delicious flamed salmon
What is Flame Salmon?
Flame salmon is a Finnish tradition, also called Loimulohi in the original language. According to an old tradition, the fish is prepared directly on the flame of the fire. This type of preparation gives the meat a succulent taste and the typical aroma of smoking. When it comes to flamed salmon, connoisseurs certainly don't eat this specialty just for the taste. Flammlachs enthusiasts also eat with their eyes! Experiencing the traditional way of preparation is an impressive process and an eye-catcher at every barbecue party. It's best if you sit back and enjoy the roaring fire while the salmon slowly cooks in the heat and smoke.
Origin of Flame Salmon
Summer solstice is the longest day of the year, making it an important festival in Finland. This is the day when the sun only sets briefly. The days between June 20th and 26th are known as the White Nights or Juhannus Juhla. People are leaving their cities to go to the coast. A big bonfire is lit here to celebrate Juhannus Juhla. These festivals probably date back to the Celts and are entwined with a variety of traditions. The flaming salmon, originally prepared with wooden pegs on a wooden plank in front of the fire, is just one of them.
Flame salmon as a grill trend
When it comes to the unique taste of flamed salmon, the smoked taste is probably the most important. However, this taste and aroma can only be achieved through proper preparation.
As already mentioned above, the special thing about flamed salmon is that it is not placed on a charcoal or gas grill like other meat dishes, but is prepared directly on the open fire, for which a
flame board is used.
What should be considered when preparing flamed salmon
The most important thing if you want to grill tarte flambée yourself is that it's fun and, of course, that the end result is delicious. In order to achieve this, handling is the be-all and end-all. On the one hand, the salmon side must be able to be fixed in a non-slip manner and, on the other hand, the effect of heat on the board at the fire should be easy to control at all times. In addition, of course, there is a natural wood fire for the delicious smoky taste. Dry beech wood is particularly suitable here. The flame board should be 100% natural and untreated, otherwise foreign substances from the wood could migrate into the salmon due to the heat.
Last but not least, to increase the durability of the board and reduce the susceptibility to stress cracks, the board should be generously coated with cooking oil before grilling (preferably on both sides). This serves as a kind of impregnation and prevents one-sided drying out in the fire. Cracks usually appear on fire because the moisture in the wood escapes too much on one side and the board contracts on one side.The wood often has no choice but to burst open. That is why the widespread variant of watering is very bad for the wood, since the difference in tension between the swollen rear side and the front side, which dries out due to the heat, becomes even greater. Oiling slows the escape of water.
Since you're probably barbecuing in your garden and not on the beach like the old Finns, you can't start a big traditional fire either. Therefore, in most cases, the flame board must be placed on a fire bowl, grill, Fuertonne or fire plate. However, if a campfire should be possible, we also have a
ground spike in our range, with which the flame board can be anchored to the ground. If that's what you're looking for, just have a look around our website.
What makes our flame boards unique?
We have followed the Finnish tradition with our product and only use natural, untreated and local beech wood. It goes without saying that our boards are solid wood. So that you can also serve all your barbecue friends at the same time, we have a
flame board in XXL size in our range, with which you can grill salmon fillets whole.
Over the years, our customers have repeatedly emphasized the ease of use of our flamed salmon grill. On the one hand you have the non-slip tilt angle system and on the other hand you can turn the board 180 degrees so that the heat can work evenly on both ends. A successful flame salmon party is not just something for the few; with our accessories, everyone who has a garden or likes to go camping can impress with a flame salmon.
Perhaps the best thing is that our boards are very versatile. Although designed for the typical brazier, you can also use them with the
fireplate mount on fireplates or with
ground spike at the campfire.
The Modern flame board
Since the time when the Celts and Vikings roamed our country, a lot has changed and the salmon board has also moved with the times. Today you don't have to nail the salmon to the board like in the Finnish tradition!
The modern flame board is made entirely of stainless steel and is very compact. This makes this new type of flaming salmon board ideal for all those who like to camp and don't want to do without their flaming salmon. In addition, the stainless steel forgives one or the other carelessness at the fire. Unlike wood, it cannot char or burn. So it is ideal for beginners.
In addition, the stainless steel version is easy to clean. And when you're not barbecuing on a secluded campsite, you can put the modern variant of the flame board in the dishwasher. All around, no problem!
Simple instructions on how to make delicious flamed salmon
It doesn't matter whether you are a beginner or an experienced cook of flamed salmon, this really simple and tasty way will always make the flamed salmon a success, and that too with just a few basic ingredients.
If you think about the spices, there's less to the flamed salmon, definitely more. All you need is salt, preferably sea salt, brown sugar and maybe a little pepper. And of course the most important thing, a salmon fillet, preferably with the skin on.
In order for the spices to have their full effect on the fillets, you should prepare the fillets for approx.Wait 60-90 minutes for the salmon to come on the board. In the meantime you can prepare the fire and get the barbecue going.
- Once the salt, brown sugar, and pepper have been well absorbed by the fillets, place the fillet skin-side down on the board. Since our accessories are already supplied with the salmon fixation, you don't need nails or a hammer to fix the salmon ;-)
- Then put the holder on the fireplace or in the case of fire plates, place the fire plate holder on the plate and insert the board vertically into the holder.
- Cooking time for small fillets: about 30 minutes.
- Cooking time for large fillets: approx. 50-80 minutes.
- The salmon should be monitored regularly to ensure the heat is not too high, otherwise the salmon and board may burn.
- The salmon smoked on the board is ready when the core temperature reaches approx. 60 °C, the salmon is slightly translucent or the meat can be easily detached from the skin. Bon appetit!
Some Flammbrett chefs swear by different marinades in which the salmon fillets sit in the freezer, often overnight. Here you should definitely try the dry marinade Smoked Salmon Crust Rub from Michel's BBQZoneSHS, which gives the salmon a really tasty crust made from a wide variety of herbs and spices. Definitely our spice recommendation ;-)
However, you should make sure when measuring the amount that the spices do not drown out the unique taste and smell of the smoked fish too much. The "traditional" Flammlachs should give you a taste of the old days, when people still sat around big wood fires and celebrated the summer solstice. The more natural the better! An open fire or a grill, a fantastic atmosphere and a piece of flamed salmon make every garden party an experience!
