Hansen & Lydersen

Ah, how times change. I first tried H&L’s smoked salmon on Broadway Market a couple of years ago and my sister bought a side for Christmas that year without too much trouble. This year, there were warnings about getting orders in early lest they overfill their capacity. Le sigh. I can only see them getting more popular too as their smoked salmon is excellent.
H&L divide their fish up into three choices: the ‘King Olav’ tail which is firm due to it being thinner and therefore takes on a bit more of the curing flavour, the «Queen Maud» fillet, and the «Freyja» fillet which includes a bit of both. We’ve gone for the Queen Maud for the last couple of years and it really does not disappoint — H&L recommend that the salmon be sliced quite thickly (a bit like sashimi) perpendicular to the length of the fish, as opposed to thin slices down the body. Personally, I think the texture is fantastic in this way, it’s not chewy, stringy or sinewy in the slightest. The flavour is also top notch — the salt levels are just right and it’s not overbearingly smoky. Don’t be put off by the oiliness of the side — it doesn’t affect the mouthfeel in a bad way.
Having had smoked salmon every year at Christmas for a while, we’ve tried it from Harrods, Fortnum, Forman, but H&L is by far the best smoked salmon in London that I know of. If you can catch their stall at the weekends, definitely try it — it’s a seriously awesome bite.
Price wise, the Queen Maud fillet costs around £60 for about 750 grams — given that the equivalent side from Forman is £70, that’s not bad. You pay a lot, but for occasions it’s definitely worth every penny.
P. S. sharpen your knives, skinning the sides can take a while…

Hansen & Lydersen provide sustainably sourced Scottish smoked salmon straight from their own kiln in Stoke Newington. I had the pleasure to meet the owner and taste their product and it’s absolutely divine. You can visit the kiln if you want but it’s easiest to call or mail them and order the smoked salmon for delivery anywhere in zones 1 and 2.