In the Press |
Wine & Spirits MagazineJune 2000 Cask Strength Trout — Using ash and alder woods and a cure of Old Rip Van Winkle Bourbon, Lewis Shuckman smokes mighty-fine Kentucky farm-raised trout, salmon and wild spoonfish (a large, rather prehistoric-looking type of sturgeon) and sells spoonfish caviar. The smoked trout we sampled was tender yet muscular, with a hint of vanilla-scented Bourbon. Louisville EATS Magazine1999-2000 Volume Three
But when Lewis Shuckman took over the family business back in the ’80s, he noticed something else was changing, too: “People were starting to eat less meat,” he says. “They wanted fish.” It didn’t take Shuckman long to turn that observation into a new direction for the company: smoking fish for growing local and national market. Using ash and alder wood and a secret bourbon cure, Shuckman smokes Kentucky farm-raised trout, salmon and paddlefish, a large, rather prehistoric-looking type of sturgeon. This is gourmet fare and the prices reflect it, ranging from $20 a pound for smoked trout to $25 for smoked, bourbon-cured spoonfish or alder-roasted salmon. A version heavily coated with cracked black pepper is also deservedly popular. These items are full-flavored but delicate, with the smoke and bourbon contributing subtle flavors that don’t dominate the fish. Shuckman also packages spoonfish caviar at $60 for a four-ounce tin. Shuckman’s fish products are available by mail order, e-mail (shuckmans@kysmokedfish.com) and at several local groceries and upscale restaurants, including the Seelbach’s Oakroom, which served the spoonfish at a lunch for President Clinton during his visit here last summer. |