Bradán — Smoked Salmon for the Warrior on Campaign
Salmon fillets salted then cold-smoked, firm and flavorful, sliced and eaten cold on the road. The most meaningful fish in all of mythical Ireland.
Salmon fillets salted then cold-smoked, firm and flavorful, sliced and eaten cold on the road. The most meaningful fish in all of mythical Ireland.
When I hold the ford alone against Medb's army, I have no leisure to light a hearth. So I carry bradán, the salmon I have salted and passed through wood smoke until it becomes firm as leather and savory as gold. A slice, a gulp of river water, and I go back to fighting. Remember: it is the salmon that gives wisdom as much as strength.
- •Wild salmon fillet — a fine side (main fish)
- •Sea salt — abundant (salting, preservation)
- •Honey — a thin coat (balance and shine)
- •Wood smoke (alder, oak) — — (flavor and preservation)
Bradán — Smoked Salmon for the Warrior on Campaign
Salmon fillets salted then cold-smoked, firm and flavorful, sliced and eaten cold on the road. The most meaningful fish in all of mythical Ireland.
Why this dish? When Cúchulainn single-handedly defends the ford against the army of Connacht (in the Táin), he needs provisions that keep and can be eaten without fire. Salmon—the sacred fish of knowledge in Celtic myth, the Bradán Feasa—smoked and salted was the ideal companion for the warrior on the roads of Muirthemne.
When I hold the ford alone against Medb's army, I have no leisure to light a hearth. So I carry bradán, the salmon I have salted and passed through wood smoke until it becomes firm as leather and savory as gold. A slice, a gulp of river water, and I go back to fighting. Remember: it is the salmon that gives wisdom as much as strength.
Ingredients (period version)
- Wild salmon fillet — a fine side (main fish)
- Sea salt — abundant (salting, preservation)
- Honey — a thin coat (balance and shine)
- Wood smoke (alder, oak) — — (flavor and preservation)
Ingredients
- Very fresh salmon fillet with skin — 1 side (about 800 g) (main fish)
- Coarse salt — 200 g (salting)
- Brown sugar (or honey) — 100 g (balance in dry brine)
- Wood chips for smoking (alder or beech) — 1 handful (cold smoking)
Method
- Mix salt and sugar, completely cover the salmon with the mixture in a dish.
- Cover and refrigerate for 24–36 hours, turning once; the fish firms up and loses moisture.
- Rinse in cold water, pat dry thoroughly, then let dry in the fridge for 2–3 hours until a thin pellicle forms.
- Cold-smoke (below 30°C) for 4–6 hours with alder or beech chips, or use as gravlax if you have no smoker.
- Slice thinly and wrap in a clean cloth to carry.
How it was made : Ireland's rivers teemed with salmon, caught with harpoon and net. To preserve fish without refrigeration, it was salted and smoked over the hearth—a universal method of Iron Age societies. The salmon holds a unique place in Celtic mythology with the Bradán Feasa, the Salmon of Knowledge.
The contemporary twist : Serve in thin slices on an oatcake with a drizzle of honey: the ford defender's snack, appetizer style.
Sources : Táin Bó Cúailnge (The Cattle Raid of Cooley) · A. T. Lucas, Irish Food before the Potato, 1960
Cúchulainn · Charactorium