New York, NY (September 17, 2014) – Renowned French Chef Daniel Boulud, in collaboration with Markus Draxler of Solex Fine Foods and Catsmo Artisan Smokehouse, has launched a new line of smoked salmon – available in three original flavors: Highland, Baja, and Riviera. Under the brand name DANIEL BOULUD SMOKED SALMON, the line is available exclusively at Whole Foods Market stores throughout New York, Northern and Central New Jersey and Southern Connecticut.
The collection’s global flavors are created through a unique pairing of herbs and spirits, inspired by Chef Boulud’s travels. The Highland flavor, featuring subtle flavors of ground cardamom and a hint whisky, was influenced by the British Isles; the Riviera flavor, with fragrances of fennel, basil, pink peppercorn and Ricard, by summers in the south of France; and the Baja flavor, highlighting the aroma of cilantro with tequila, by a recent trip to Mexico where Chef Daniel met with the country’s best chefs and explored the cuisine and local ingredients. Draxler, founder of Solex Fine Foods and formerly Maître d'hôtel at Boulud’s three Michelin star DANIEL, approached Boulud in early January 2014 about developing a line of salmon. Boulud met with his chefs and developed ten recipes with ingredients from the DANIEL kitchen and around the world. Through a series of tastings and testing, they narrowed the selection to three standouts.
“Smoked salmon is a staple for me when entertaining at home – by itself it is delicate and elegant, and adds rich flavor to hors d’oeuvres, salads and sandwiches. My goal was to source and smoke a superb salmon, then layer in interesting flavors to give an added element of depth and versatility to the fish.”
DANIEL BOULUDSMOKED SALMON uses only premium cuts of responsibly sourced, fresh, Atlantic salmon smoked by Catsmo Artisan Smokehouse, a small-batch smokehouse located in Walkill, NY, in the heart of the Catskill Mountains. Catsmo uses the highest quality ingredients, meeting Whole Foods Market’s strict aquaculture and farming standards, and has maintained a tradition of excellence for 19 years, using the most precise methods of selecting and smoking salmon.
“At Whole Foods Market, our goal is to offer our shoppers the widest variety of high-quality products,” says James Slobodzian, Whole Foods Market Northeast Region’s Seafood Coordinator. “We’re thrilled to work with Chef Boulud and Catsmo on these wonderful flavors of smoked salmon that are not only delicious, but also meet our strict standards, meaning that we can trace exactly where the fish is coming from and how they were raised, offering piece of mind for our shoppers as they enjoy this superior product from one of the world’s most recognizable and celebrated chefs.”