It’s National Baking Week 2019 (14 – 20 October), which provides the perfect excuse for you to buy Scottish smoked salmon and try three of our favourite baked smoked salmon recipes.

And with the much-loved Great British Bake Off in full flow, could the timing be any better? Also, we should point out that National Baking Week pre-dates the nation’s favourite show by three years, when it was launched in 2007 to encourage people of all abilities to bake at home. Oh, and according to the organisers, baking doesn’t just result in delicious food, but also has other benefits including:

• Stimulation of the senses
• It’s a meditative process
• A great channel for creativity
• Giving people delicious food makes them happy

Now, when it comes to smoked salmon and baking, you might think that the two aren’t comfortable bedfellows. But dig a bit deeper and you’ll find a number of tasty – and often traditional – recipes that will make you view cooked smoked salmon in a different light.

Here are our top three baked salmon recipes for this year.

1. Smoked salmon tart with dill and potato

Ingredients

 200g pack of John Ross Jr’s Traditional Scottish Smoked Salmon

300g of Shop-bought short crust pastry

2 x medium eggs

3 x tablespoons of chopped dill (plus a little extra for serving

Small pot of single cream

350g sliced new potatoes

Pinch of salt and pepper

The zest of one lime

Method

Heat an oven to 190 degrees and grab a 28cm tart/flan tin. Roll out the pastry wide enough to line the tin, trim the edges and then line with baking paper before adding baking bins to flatten down. Place on a baking sheet before cooking for 8-10 minutes. Remove the beans and paper and then bake for five more minutes.

Boil the sliced potatoes until tender, then drain. Beat together the eggs, cream, dill, salt, pepper and lime zest. When the potatoes have cooled slightly, spread half into the pastry case and, in the gaps, add half the John Ross smoked salmon. Take half the beaten mixture and pour over the top, and then repeat the process.

Bake for 25 minutes until lightly golden and firm to touch. Serve when at room temperature with a sprinkle of dill.

2. Smoked salmon and mature cheddar scones

Ingredients

100g John Ross Scottish Smoked Salmon, chopped into tiny pieces 

225 self-raising flour

100g of the strongest cheddar you can find – grated

150ml semi-skimmed milk

50g butter (salted)

150g soft cheese

1 x teaspoon baking powder

Method

Heat an oven to 220 degrees. Mix the flour and baking powder together before rubbing in the butter until it looks like breadcrumbs. Stir in 75 per cent of the cheese and then add the milk, stirring until it becomes doughy. Then add the chopped smoked salmon pieces and stir once more.

Flour a surface and spread the dough out until it’s approximately 2cm thick before stamping out rounds of about 5cm in diameter. Make as many as you can (probably about 12) and place on a non-stick baking sheet. Brush with milk, sprinkle on any leftover cheese and bake for 10 minutes.

Place on a rack, leave to cool and enjoy whist warm.

Savoury Scottish smoked salmon and dill cake

Ingredients

 100g John Ross Scottish Smoked Salmon

½ cup of dill (finely chopped)

1 ½ cups of flour

½ cup of cheddar (grated)

½ cup of milk

1 x teaspoon of sugar

3 x tablespoons of vegetable oil

1 x tablespoon of baking powder

Salt and pepper to taste

3 x large eggs

Method

Heat oven to 180 degrees. Whisk the eggs in a bowl and then add the oil and milk. When smooth, add the flour, baking powder, sugar, pepper and salt and mix until everything is nicely blended. Then add the Scottish smoked salmon, cheese and dill until combined.

Butter a loaf pan and pour in the mixture. Place in the over and cook for 45 minutes (or until cooked). Tip out onto a wire rack to cool before enjoying slightly warm.

For more smoked salmon ideas, inspiration and special offers visit our Instagram and Facebook pages.

Yes, there is such a thing. Well, kind of. And before you stop reading this on the basis that you’re not interested in the science behind smoked salmon, look at the delicious images we’ve recently prepared.

Gorgeous, aren’t they.

So, now that we (hopefully) have your attention, let’s get down to business.

This week is National Obesity Week (14 – 20 January) – an awareness campaign that’s tapping into the nation’s inevitable post-Christmas health kick to raise awareness of the growing issues around obesity.

Now, for many people, January is a month when the brakes are applied, the indulgences reigned in and all things nice are given a wide berth in favour of diets and detoxes. As we all know, moderation is key, yet things tend to become a little black and white, all or nothing at the start of a New Year.

However, the good news with smoked salmon is that you can have your cake AND eat it. Why? Because it’s one indulgence that you can retain in January – and guilt free, too.

On to the science bit, then.

1. D for Delicious

Or, rather, Vitamin D. Yes, smoked salmon is packed full of it, with an 85g portion of smoked salmon providing a staggering 97 per cent of your daily intake.

2. The power of three

Omega-3, to be precise. Oily fish is well known for providing a rich source of this essential fatty acid, which helps you sleep, lowers blood pressure and boosts memory.

3. Salute the selenium

Selenium is a powerful antioxidant – and one that that helps defend the body from chronic diseases such as heart disease and cancer. The good news is that smoked salmon is loaded with it.

4. Bursting with B vitamins

Smoked salmon is jam-packed with B vitamins including B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B9 and B12. Could smoked salmon B any better?

5. Packing potassium

Potassium is a mineral that helps to regulate the heartbeat and blood pressure, as well as help keep your muscles and digestive system in order. It’s also found in abundance in smoked salmon, too.

If these top 5 reasons to eat smoked salmon aren’t enough to inspire a healthy-but-tasty January, then visit our serving suggestions section or delve deeper into our blogs to find a selection of delicious – and healthy – smoked salmon recipes. Alternatively, follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for offers and competitions.

There is no longer a day that isn’t reserved for some celebration (our last blog, which was a nod to ‘pomegranate month’, is probably a good example). However, one day that’s really starting to resonate is Black Friday – and why wouldn’t it, when it’s based on bagging bargains. And if you can’t beat them then you may as well join them, which is why we’re offering 25% OFF WHEN YOU BUY SMOKED SALMON PRODUCTS this Friday (23^rd).

But there is a catch (pun intended) – although it’s a nice catch.

We would like to keep you updated with smoked salmon special offers, future competitions and recipes from John Ross Jr. In order for us to do that outside of Facebook and Instagram, we would need you to sign up to our newsletter on the homepage.

It’s not essential, as anybody with the code will benefit from our Black Friday food offer, however, in return for signing up we will keep you updated with news, special offers and competitions.

To benefit from 25% off enter the following code at checkout: 2ZU5FIBUZFQD

Thank you, from everyone at John Ross Jr – and happy shopping!

(Oh, and as it’s Black Friday, here’s a black-inspired fish recipe that we think you’ll enjoy, too.)

Black miso and sake cod

This is DELICIOUS. And our fresh cod provides an extra delicate texture, too.

Serves 2

Ingredients

2 x John Ross Jr fresh cod fillets

1/8 cup of Sake

1/8 cup of Mirin

2 x tablespoons of white miso paste

1.5 tablespoons sugar

In advance of making the dish – anywhere up to three days, in fact – prepare the miso

marinade and marinate the cod. To do this, you need to bring the sake and Mirin to the boil on a high heat. Then, once the alcohol has evaporated, turn down the heat, add the miso paste and stir until the miso has dissolved. Add the sugar, stirring all the time, so that the sugar doesn’t burn. Once everything has been dissolved, remove from the heat and leave to cool. Once room temperature, you can cover the cod fillets in the marinade and leave in a sealed bowl.

To cook preheat an oven to 190° Celsius. Grease a baking dish. Lightly fry the fillets in a pan on both sides for around three minutes each side. Then transfer the fillets to the baking dish and cook in the oven for five to ten minutes. Enjoy on its own or with wilted spinach.

It’s National Sandwich Day on Saturday 3 November. And if, like us, you love the traditional smoked salmon sandwich options (smoked salmon and cream cheese bagel; smoked salmon and cucumber sandwiches) but are looking to widen your smoked salmon sandwich repertoire, then you’ll love these three interesting smoked salmon sandwich ideas.

Whilst National Sandwich Day was essentially created by a well known high street sandwich brand in order to sell more sandwiches, let’s take a little time to celebrate this much loved meal – but with a smoked salmon twist, of course.

Smoked salmon club sandwich

Serves 1

Ingredients

• 3 x slices of the freshest bread you can find (brown or white)
• 2 x tablespoons of Greek Yoghurt
• 1 x tablespoon of Neufchatel cheese
• 1 x teaspoon freshly chopped dill
• 1 x pack of John Ross Jr’s Traditional Smoked Salmon
• 3 x leaves of iceberg lettuce, shredded
• 2 x slices of a fresh, large tomato
• 1/2 x teaspoon capers (chopped)
• 1 x pinch of salt

Method 

Grab a bowl and mix together the yogurt, cheese, salt and the dill until thoroughly blended. Then toast the bread. Layer the mixture on each slice, add a third of the lettuce on top and then, on top of that, add a third of the smoked salmon. If you like capers, add a sprinkle here, too, before adding one slice of tomato. Repeat the process and stack on top. Use the last piece of toast as the lid. Cut into triangles and enjoy.

Smoked salmon sub (but not as you know it)

This bread-free option probably goes against the grain (no pun intended) and the spirit of National Sandwich Day, but it’s healthy and tasty – and not everyone loves bread.

Serves 1

Ingredients

• 1 x cucumber
• Heaped spoonful of cream cheese
• Heaped spoonful of chopped red onion
• Teaspoon of freshly chopped dill
• 50g – 100g John Ross Jr Smoked Salmon (depending on the size of your cucumber!)

Method

Peel the cucumber and lose the ends by cutting them off. Cut the cucumber in half – lengthways – and scoop out most of the cucumber’s inner flesh to make room for the filling. Mix the cheese, dill and onion in a bowl before spreading it on each side of the hollowed out cucumber. Lay as much smoked salmon as you can on one of the sides and then sandwich the smoked salmon in using the other half of the cucumber.

3. Smoked salmon sandwiches with curried almonds

This is without doubt the most interesting smoked salmon sandwich recipe we came across. And whilst we haven’t tried it, we couldn’t overlook a recipe that included the words ‘smoked salmon’ and ‘curried’ in the same sentence!

Serves 2

Ingredients

• 1 x teaspoon vegetable oil
• 4 x slices of fresh, wholemeal bread
• 1/3 cup of sliced, unblanched almonds
• ½ x teaspoon curry powder
• ¼ cup plain yogurt
• 100g pack of John Ross Jr
• 2 radishes, thickly sliced
• 1/2 Granny Smith apple, chopped into slices

Method 

Heat the oil in a pain, add the almonds and cook until golden. Coat the almonds in the curry powder and stir until well covered. Take off the heat and leave to cool. Once cool, stir in the yoghurt and season to taste. Spread the mixture over the bread, share the smoked salmon amongst the two sandwiches and top with the apple and radish. Serve when ready.

Do you have any interesting smoked salmon sandwich recipes you’d like to share with us? Share them via our or Facebook or Instagram pages and we’ll send you a 100g pack of our Scottish smoked salmon – for FREE.

It may sound like an unlikely day for the calendar (although not quite as unlikely as International Talk Like a Pirate Day), but Apple Day, on 21 October, has been an annual celebration since 1990.

Launched to raise awareness of the apple and celebrate diversity of landscape and ecology, it has since become associated with raising awareness in the provenance and traceability of food – something that everyone at John Ross Jr is very supportive of.

So, we thought we’d lend our support in not only making our readers aware of Apple Day, but also place the apple in the spotlight by selecting two of our favourite apple and smoked salmon recipes.

Smoked salmon and apple salad

This super salad is super tasty – and super healthy!

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 100g John Ross Jr Traditional Smoked Salmon
• 3 x carrots, cut lengthwise in 1cm strips
• 3 x celery stalks cut into 1cm strips
• 2 x fennel bulbs, cored and sliced thinly
• 1 x seasonal apple, cored and sliced thinly
• ¼ cup of extra virgin olive oil
• 1 x lemon, juiced and peeled
• 1 x tsp sugar
• 1 x tbsp drained capers
• ½ x teaspoon of salt

Method

Grab a large bowl and mix together the apple, fennel, celery carrot and smoked salmon. In a sealed jar, add the olive oil, lemon juice, lemon peel, sugar and salt. Close and tighten the lid before shaking. Once combined, drizzle over the salad mixture and, just before serving, throw in the capers.

Hot smoked salmon with apple and onion pickle

This delicious potted smoked salmon recipe (which originates from Delicious magazine) is a really wholesome and richly flavoured dish, which brings out the best in flavours from both the hot smoked salmon and apple.

Serves 6

Ingredients

• A whole side of John Ross Jr’s Kiln Roasted Salmon (you only need 500g so you’ll have approximately 200g leftover)
• 1 x lemon (use 100 per cent of the juice and just 50 per cent of the zest)
• 1 x bunch of dill
• ½ x bunch of fresh coriander, finely chopped
• 1 tsp coriander seeds (toasted and crushed using a pestle and mortar)
• 1 tsp ground pepper
• 180g unsalted butter, melted
• Sourdough bread (to serve)

For the pickle

• ½ lemon – juiced
• 2 tbsp white wine vinegar
• 2 tbsp caster sugar
• ½ red onion, finely sliced
• 1 granny smith apple, peeled and cut into thin sticks
• 1 tsp sea salt

Method

Combine the salmon, lemon juice and zest, the ground coriander, pepper, dill and fresh coriander in a large bowl. Grab six ramekins, or similar, and divide the mixture among them, making sure to pack the mixture into each pot. Pour over the melted butter and chill until the butter is solid once more.

For the pickle, mix the vinegar, sugar and lemon juice in a separate bowl before adding the onion, apple and salt. Leave for around 15 – 30 minutes before squeezing out the liquid and serving with the six dishes and a slice of toasted sourdough bread.

For healthy smoked salmon recipes and regular updates and offers from John Ross Jr, find us on Facebook or follow us on Instagram.