How the Arbroath Smokie is made

The haddock are first salted overnight. They are then tied in pairs using hemp twine and left overnight to dry.

Once they have been salted, tied and dried, they are hung over a triangular length of wood to smoke. This “kiln stick” fits between the two tied smokies, one fish on either side. The sticks are then used to hang the dried fish in a special barrel containing a hardwood fire. The base of the barrel is lined with slates to protect it and a hardwood fire of beech and oak is lit inside.

When the fish are hung over the fire, the top of the barrel is covered with a lid and sealed around the edges with wet jute sacks (the water prevents the jute sacks from catching fire). All of this serves to create a very hot, humid and smoky fire. The intense heat and thick smoke is essential if the fish are to be cooked, not burned and to have the strong, smoky taste and smell people expect from Arbroath Smokies.

The sticks of haddock are then placed over the smoking ‘pit’ and then, with the true art of the smoker, cooked until the golden copper tones of a true Arbroath Smokie is achieved.

Find out more about the Arbroath Smokie