"At my table the most regal smoked salmon reigns."

Sunset, Dec, 1995 by Jerry Anne di Vecchio

When December arrives and party days are designated, I'm once again ready to order the finest smoked salmon I've ever tasted. And I still can smell the delicate, sweet aroma of smoking wood that greeted me the first time I visited Port Chatham Smoked Seafood in Ballard, Washington.

I stepped through the doorway and there, behind the counter, was Arnie -- a tall Nordic who proved to be a willing teacher. What a class he gave me that afternoon. With each sampling of the wares in his display case came a terse lecture -- first there is the fish, then the cure, and finally the smoking. And with each variety, he almost whispered, are guarded secrets.

A tour of the soot-blackened smokehouse followed my impromptu seminar. Here, fillets of orange-gold and deep red-gold salmon were gently absorbing the almost cool, aromatic essence of slowly smoldering alder wood.

Like any novice overwhelmed by great art, I mark this as the day my tastes were elevated. Each kind of salmon I tried then and have tasted since has its own merits. But after I tried the cold-smoked nova-style Copper River king of Port Chatham Smoked Seafood. there was, for me, no return. Except, of course, to buy more.

This elegant fish initially landed on my holiday menus by chance. I'd shared my discovery with a Seattle friend, and when he came to spend Christmas, he hand-delivered a whole smoked fillet. As the days progressed, I came to realize how adaptable a big slab of smoked salmon can be. Presented intact, the fillet practically stole the scene at a party given to honor my Seattle guest. It lay in golden splendor upon an old silver platter, surrounded by favorite condiments -- thinly sliced dense rye bread, creme fraiche, lemon wedges, drained capers, and chopped red onions. The crowd made a fair dent in the salmon, but leftovers were ample. Some of these choice remnants came out on another evening when more guests dropped by for drinks. And the night the kids were due home from school and their flights were delayed, the salmon saved us. We had it for supper -- very late but in good cheer -- with tiny boiled potatoes and more of the same accoutrements. On Christmas morning, we bid the last bites farewell with scrambled eggs and toast.

That was just the first fillet. There have been many since.

Couriers from the north still occasionally bring me smoked salmon, but my need has grown. For the Yuletide, I've come to depend upon a presliced fillet that's trimmed, boned, and ready to go, even if it is a trifle more expensive that way. Although they come much larger, a 5-pound fillet suits my entertaining needs. For appetizers, an eighth of a pound of smoked salmon, by the rules, is a serving, but I find that my friends aren't inclined to stay within this polite limit. With other foods for dinner, a quarter to a third of a pound of salmon per person seems to satisfy.

Port Chatham Smoked Seafood has grown, too, though its products still bear the brand Portlock. The original shop, just north of Seattle, has been gussied up, but the headquarters are now in Seattle, and there are other branches. These days, although friends from Seattle are as welcome as ever, the telephone is my smoked salmon connection.

The Pacific's Smoked Salmon: What are the choices? What are the sources?

Five species of wild salmon live along the coast and in Western rivers, but much that is smoked comes from Alaska. And farm-raised Atlantic salmon is smoked, too, Here's a glossary to help you eat well.

The Fish

King (also called chinook): most prized for smoking. especially those from Alaska's Copper River; weighs as much as 100 pounds: flesh s a rich gold color. Sockeye (red): also favored for smoking, although it has less oil; typically about 4 to 8 pounds: flesh is a bright red-gold. Silver (coho), pink, and chum (keta): less fat than the sockeye; firmer and drier when smoked. Farmed-Atlantic: almost as much oil as king, but paler in color, milder in flavor, and slightly firmer, as large as 15 pounds.

The Styles

Cold-smoked: smoked at low temperatures, between 75[degrees] and 100[degrees]; fish is lightly cooked and has a moist, soft texture. Hard-smoked: cold-smoked long enough to develop dry, firm flesh and a distinct smoky flavor To preserve salmon, Native Americans smoke it until it's as dry as jerky. Kippered (hot-smoked): bakes as it smokes at higher temperatures (as hot as 195[degrees]). Surface gets firm, meat flaky. Nova Scotia or nova-style: cold-smoked, but at even lower temperatures than the cold-smoked variety; exceptionally moist and creamy texture, mild flavor: often confused with lox or gravlax, which are cured but not smoked.

Where and How to Buy it

Smoked salmon is shipped refrigerated, overnight. it's available fresh or frozen, although most is frozen for shipping. Most salmon comes vacuum-sealed in plastic -- and it can go directly into the freezer for as long as six months. Unopened, the salmon keeps well in the refrigerator for as long as three weeks but is best used within five days. Prices vary greatly; a pound of smoked salmon ranges from $12 to $35. Gift packages and shipping add to the cost. A few salmon processors in Alaska smoke the fish and ship it. And smoked salmon is easily found in and around Seattle. The following companies ship within the United States. Most have brochures. Alaska. Taku Smokeries, Juneau, (800) 582-5122. Hot- and cold-smoked salmon. NorQuest Seafoods, Ketchikan, (907) 225-9865. Cold-smoked sockeye and silver, and other forms of smoked salmon under the brand Silver Lining. Alaska Gourmet, Anchorage, (800) 288-3740. Hot- and cold-smoked salmon. Seattle. Port Chatham Smoked Seafood, (800) 872-5666. Smokehouse and retail shop are still in Ballard, but there are seven other branches in the Northwest and one in Walnut Creek, California. Tastings are offered. Totem Smokehouse, (800) 972-5666. Provides samples at Seattle's Pike Place Market, and has a variety of gift boxes. Three shops at Pike Place Market also smoke their own salmon: Jack's Fish Spot (800/468-0514) has garlic-smoked king salmon. Pure Food Fish (800/392-3474) smokes Copper River king. Pike Place Fish (800/ 542-7732) does a moist kippered king. Elsewhere in Washington. Alaska Smokehouse, Woodinville, (800) 422-0852. Specializes in salmon in wooden gift boxes decorated with totem images. Kirkland Custom Seafoods, Kirkland, (800) 321-3474. Produces the popular Alder Cove brand. Hegg and Hegg Smoked Salmon, on the Olympic Peninsula in Port Angeles, (800) 435-3474. Sells from three stores, with tastings at 801 Marine Drive in the Marina. Many Pacific coastal fishing communities also have smokehouses -- such as the Creekside Smokehouse, 280 Ave. Alhambra, El Granada (415/712-8862), about 30 miles south of San Francisco. Check for more fish smokers in the yellow pages under Fish. Curing and Smoking.