A LOOK AT NORTHERN WATERS SMOKEHAUS

By Andrea Busche

Offering everything from smoked fish and meats to antipasto platters and cheeses Northern Waters Smokehaus has become a staple of Canal Park.

16 SMOKIN’ YEARS

Open since 2001, Northern Waters, located in the Dewitt Seitz building, is a smoked foods deli owned by Eric Goerdt and his wife, Lynn. Eric was introduced to the art of smoking wild fish and game by Alaskan locals while he served in the Coast Guard in the early ’90s, and soon perfected the craft. Along with their 50 employees, the Goerdt kids also join in on the family fun, working summers at the shop.

Besides kippering and smoking fish, Northern Waters offers an award-winning charcuterie program, and sells a variety of cured muscle meats and fresh sausages. There are sandwiches offered at the deli, too.

Here’s one selection from the sandwich menu: continued on page 22 continued from page 21

Cajun Finn - Haus-smoked Cajun salmon, green onion cream cheese, roasted red peppers, pepperoncini & lettuce on stirato.

The Smokehaus has been featured on the TV show “Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives.” It has also been profiled in Bon Appétit magazine, as well as a variety of other magazines, newspapers and blogs.

SMOKING AND DRY CURING –BEHIND THE SCENES

Northern Waters uses an old-world technique for dry-curing their meats. The casings are first filled with all manners of delicious meats. The stuffed salumi are then sprayed with penicillin mold to prevent bacteria buildup. While this sounds slightly unappealing, it’s actually a way to keep the meat safe and healthy for you to eat.

The meat is then hung to dry and cure in a special, humidity-controlled room found in the basement of Dewitt Seitz. Once the salumi lose 40 percent of their weight, they’re done.

Catering & Delivery Director Justin Wood (known as “Woody”) shares that Northern Waters’ saucisson sec, a type of French salami, is a delicacy seldom found outside of France. “We’ve had customers visiting from France who tried it, and they were just blown away,” he shares. “To them, it tastes like home.” continued on page 23 continued from page 22

For its smoking method, Northern Waters uses what’s known as the kipper process. The fish is treated with a brine solution containing brown sugar, salt, and water. It is then put in the smoker, and set at 100 degrees. Kippering is a slow process, where the temperature of the smoker is raised 10 degrees per hour until it reaches 160 degrees. Afterwards, the meat is allowed to “rest” outside the smoker until it becomes tacky.

Locally Sourced Whenever Possible

Northern Waters purchases all of its lake trout, herring and whitefish from Lake Superior Fish Company, based in Knife River. Since it is illegal to commercially fish for salmon in Lake Superior, Northern Waters sources its salmon from Dave Rogotzke, a local fisherman who travels to Bristol Bay Alaska to fish. Some of the Smokehaus’ salmon is farm raised Atlantic, as well.

For more information, visit northernwaterssmokehaus.com.

Fish, Meats, Cheeses, and Platters from the Smokehaus

Fish: King salmon, sockeye salmon, trout, whitefish, salmon pate

Meat: Bacon, porketta, pork loin, smoked turkey breast, ham, pancetta, pastrami, pepperoni, salami, Spanish Chorizo, pepperoni, saucisson sec

Gifts: Bagel sandwich kits, sampler boxes

Trays: Smoked salmon all-season fillet platter (dill, lemon pepper, Cajun, and traditional), Antipasto Platter (ample portions of smoked meats, cured meats, veggie charcuterie, cheeses, and olives), cheese plates, and baguette baskets