Apr. 13, 2011 - Issue #808: Destroyer
Revue
Smokin’
Sgambaro's is built on a perfected salmon recipe
Roberto Sgambaro grew up in Edmonton and earned his Red Seal at NAIT, but sought international experience. He worked in Paris and Toronto, but was introduced to curing and smoking salmon at Hotel Vogue in Montréal. Smoked salmon may be categorized as "cold smoked" or "hot smoked," and the primary difference is that cold smoked salmon is not cooked by the smoke, resulting in a silky and luxuriously tender end product. In contrast, hot smoked salmon is firm and flaky, much like baked fish. Brining is an additional means to preserve salmon, and the process entails curing the fish in a salt-sugar solution. At Hotel Vogue, Sgambaro learned a technique that melds aspects of several of these procedures. He explains, "It is not quite brining and not quite cold smoking, but combines the cold smoke with a dry brine."
He returned to Edmonton to put down roots and created a fine-dining catering company, one directed towards small groups of diners in a home setting. In 1996, one particular customer requested a welcome-home dinner featuring smoked salmon. Sgambaro agreed to fulfil the customer's request, even though he did not own smoking equipment. The customer's prolonged vacation gave Sgambaro a window of opportunity in which to build a small smoker and prepare salmon using the technique he developed in Montréal.
This event was a catalyst for Sgambaro. The salmon was a roaring success and Sgambaro subsequently gave samples of his wares to local chefs. The plethora of positive feedback prompted a foray into the business of preparing and selling smoked salmon. Risk is inherent in starting a business, though; Sgambaro sought financial stability by starting seasonal work in the kitchen of a local golf course. "I did a test market of my salmon at [now-defunct gourmet store] Debaji's, and before I knew it, it sold out by noon," he recalls. "The next time I made more and it sold out, and then no matter how much I made, I consistently sold out. I was reaching my maximum capacity, since my small smoker only held 12 sides of fish.""I got the ball rolling too hard," Sgambaro laughs. He left the golf course after one season and purchased substantially larger equipment. Offerings grew to include classic smoked salmon, gravlax (a Scandinavian version of cured salmon), salmon sausage, paté and jerky. These are sourced from Atlantic salmon, though Sgambaro uses sockeye salmon when it is seasonally available. He plans to offer wild salmon products, noting that there is a significant market for these products. "Perhaps I'll call it 'Sgambaro's Gone Wild,'" he muses.
Sgambaro prefers a hands-on approach to preparation. Fish are filleted and seasoned by hand before resting in a gargantuan cooler. Many hours later, the filets are rinsed to remove excess seasoning and smoked in a high-tech machine that provides multiple air currents to ensure even smoking, before being chilled, sliced and packaged. It takes five days for one batch of fish to complete these steps and Sgambaro remarks, "We process approximately 1200 sides of salmon per week."
Sgambaro's culinary career spanned an ocean and many Canadian provinces, but ultimately returned to the city of his birth. He brought with him an arsenal of knowledge and culinary techniques that spawned a highly successful smoked salmon business. The piquant aroma of smoked salmon is certainly a benefit of this job but, for Sgambaro, the greatest satisfaction is gained from customer feedback. "I love what I do, and you hear all kinds of stories from the customers, of where they've taken my salmon," he states. He smiles and explains, "The ultimate compliment is when people take my smoked salmon to Vancouver and people there like it better than the local products!" V
Roberto Sgambaro
Sgambaro's Signature Seafoods
12819 - 58 St, 780.457.8227
More info about Sgambaro’s Signature Seafoods →
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