It has been installed for nearly a century in the port of Boulogne-sur-Mer (62). The Corrue company is active on the eve of the end of the year celebrations to carry out the artisanal salting and smoking of its fish.
From the outset, the intoxicating smells of returning from fishing, mixed with those of the wood fire, plunge us into the atmosphere of the Corrue house. Founded in 1935, it is one of the last curing and smoking companies in France. Cédric and Pierre Corrue “fell in love” when they were little, as they have fun. They represent the fourth generation to take over the family business. Two brothers united to make prosper an ancestral know-how dear to Boulonnais.
From filleting to curing
In the workshops, the 42 employees work mainly at night. “It’s a big family, some have worked here for nearly forty years, says Cédric Corrue, commercial director. We are committed to sustaining our strengths and training young people. Because these professions are rare, even forgotten. “
When the herring, salmon, haddock or mackerel fillets are delivered at dawn, filleters clean them and reveal them. Then place stripping and salting which lasts several hours depending on the fish. Then comes the smoking step.
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“It is done in coresses, large wood-fired ovens. The fish are suspended vertically between 2 and 6 p.m. aend of being smoked to heart, explains the leader. We use the same techniques as a hundred years ago. Old fashioned smoking results in a unique flavor and appearance. “
A finder is responsible for supplying the beech sawdust with precision. Its role is decisive since the fire must be gentle and constant. The herring, whose full fishing season takes place in November and December on the coast, come out of these stoves with an inimitable golden color. Manual work continues with the spinners who carefully lift the fillets from the freshly smoked fish.
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Recognized work
At the end of the chain, “Some fish are rolled into ballotins by hand, others are sliced in the traditional way, always to respect the flesh and its softness, underlines Cédric Corrue. We vacuum-pack them in trays or wooden boxes. “
Salter-smoker products, guaranteed without preservatives, can be found on stalls in the region and throughout France. “Our customers are both regulars and locals because our shop in Capécure (port area of Boulogne-sur-Mer, editor’s note) is open every morning, but also fishmongers and supermarkets, specifies the professional. Our work is recognized and we have adhered to the collective brand Saveurs en’Or since its creation. This guarantee of quality fully responds to the meaning that we want to give to our activity: to preserve and enhance regional traditions and specialties. “ Treasures of the sea, brought to light on land, to be enjoyed all year round.
“Thirty years that fish have been on our shelves”
From the Boulonnaise coast to the fortifications of Gravelines (59), there is only one step. Guillaume Verlingue, manager of the Intermarché store in the town of Gravelines, has been supplying his store with specialties from Corrue for several years. “Corrue salting is one of our leading suppliers in the port of Boulogne-sur-Mer, he assures. She is a long time partner. Their fish have been on Intermarché shelves for about thirty years: both the traditional department with wooden crates and the self-service tide department. “ According to him, the fresh products of Cédric and Pierre Corrue are appreciated by consumers. “We are delivered every day by our central, continues Guillaume Verlingue. Smoked herrings or haddocks are very good and always appealing. In the store, we try to highlight and promote as much as possible the Saveurs en’Or products, which are supplied to us locally and designed by hand. “
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