Hot Smoked Salmon Fillet

"Smoked salmon is one of those curious culinary traditions, borne of pure necessity, that just also happens to produce a distinct delicacy in its own right. Practiced by many cultures along the frigid North Atlantic and North Pacific Coasts, smoking salmon helps preserve it by slowly reducing the amount of moisture within the fish until it becomes inhospitable to spoilage-inducing microogranisms. Most smoked salmon you’ll encounter out in the world is cold-smoked, meaning the temperature of the smoke is kept low enough to preserve the salmon without technically cooking it. There is, however, a robust tradition of hot-smoking salmon, too, which traditionally provided the same benefits of cold-smoking while also resulting in a heartier, meatier texture and flavor. It’s from this tradition that we drew inspiration for Trader Joe’s Hot Smoked Salmon Fillet, a decidedly delicious delicacy that’s now available in the deli section of our West Coast and Southwest stores.

Made with skin-on, farm-raised, Atlantic Salmon that’s been Hot Smoked over oak wood, these Fillets make a savory, flavorful, and filling protein option for all sorts of occasions. Since they come fully cooked and ready to eat, they can be simply served, hot or cold, as a topper to a salad, rice bowl, or plate of pasta in seconds flat. Much like its cold-smoked counterpart, it’s also great at the breakfast table, especially when flaked with a fork and served atop a toasty bagel with Whipped Cream Cheese and Nonpareille Capers."