Some consider it a luxury item, served only on special occasions. Others relegate it to the brunch table, as topping for a bagel. Yet, to me, smoked salmon is far more than fancy finger food. Whether featured in a pasta dish, incorporated into a salad or filling a fajita, it remains a versatile, multi-faceted fish. Although considered a delicacy, smoked salmon has quite humble beginnings. Born out of necessity, smoking was the means by which medieval Europeans ensured that their bountiful salmon catches would remain edible throughout the year. To preserve their fish, the anglers would first clean and fillet their salmon. They then sprinkled salt and sugar onto the flesh, stacked the fillets on top of each other and inserted them into an active smokehouse. There the salmon would remain in roughly 75 to 85 degree Fahrenheit temperature until smoked completely. Unlike the tender, moist products of today, the early European versions had a tough texture reminiscent of jerky. They also possessed a strong, salty tang that differed greatly from the present day’s milder …