FAQ
Our expert answers your questions
How much whole smoked salmon should you allow for a gathering?
A 1.2 kg format generally serves around ten guests as a starter, or six to eight as a main course. Allow around 100 to 120 g per person for a main course, and 60 to 80 g for a starter. For an aperitif, 30 to 50 g per guest is enough.
Should you choose a pre-sliced version or a whole side to slice yourself?
Pre-slicing makes immediate service easier and guarantees fine, even slices, ideal for an aperitif or a starter to serve quickly. The whole side, to slice yourself, extends the artisanal experience and lets you adjust the thickness of the slices at the moment of serving. For a presentation at the table, the Balik whole side keeps its whole form and lends a ceremonial dimension to the tasting.
How do you slice a whole smoked salmon yourself?
A long, very well sharpened knife makes it possible to cut fine slices on the bias. The salmon is sliced from head to tail, gliding the blade parallel to the skin and easing the pressure as the cut goes on to avoid splitting the flesh. A few minutes resting at room temperature before serving make slicing easier and release the aromas.
Which pairing suits a whole smoked salmon?
A brut champagne, ideally a blanc de blancs, accompanies the finesse of whole smoked salmon particularly well. A dry, mineral white wine, such as Chablis or Sancerre, likewise brings out the woody aromas of the Le Borvo. For the Balik Classic, ice-cold vodka remains the historic pairing, in keeping with the Russian tradition from which the method draws its inspiration. With a Gravlax, the Balik mustard-and-dill sauce is the signature pairing.
Find the whole smoked salmon that is right for you
Our selection brings together several complementary signatures. First, the Balik Classic Side, smoked in Switzerland according to the method inherited from the former court of the Tsar of Russia: available pre-sliced for immediate service, or as a whole side to slice yourself for the ultimate experience. Alongside them, the Balik Gravlax Presliced Side, marked by salt, sugar and dill in the Scandinavian tradition. From France, the House of Le Borvo offers a 1.2 kg sliced whole salmon, slowly smoked over beechwood, as well as a gravlax version long marinated in a blend of Nordic spices.
How to choose your whole smoked salmon
It all depends on how you wish to enjoy it. For a festive table ready to serve, the pre-sliced versions (Balik Classic or Gravlax, Caviar House 1.2 kg) make for immediate enjoyment. If you relish the gesture, the Balik Classic Whole Side lends itself to slicing at home, fine and precise. As for style, the delicate woodiness of the Caviar House salmon from the House of Le Borvo accompanies gourmet aperitifs beautifully, whilst the Balik smoking, more enveloping, shines at the heart of the menu.
Whole smoked salmon, an expertise to serve in grand style
Whole smoked salmon, or sliced whole salmon, is a historic form of presentation at the table. Its visual generosity and the evenness of its cut make it the format of grand occasions. Within our range, two houses sit side by side. On one side Balik, since 1978 in the Swiss Alps, carries on the method inherited from the Russian imperial court, over a rare wood from the local mountains, seasoned for several years. On the other, the House of Le Borvo, since 1972 in Burgundy, follows another tradition: smoking at 25°C over beechwood steeped in essential oils, followed by maturation of 24 to 72 hours.
The larger the salmon, the more evenly the texture is distributed. On a 1.2 kg format, the flesh keeps its consistency from one end of the fillet to the other, which makes it possible to cut fine, uniform slices. It is also the format that best expresses the work of salting, smoking and maturation.