Arbroath is famous for the Arbroath smokie. The fish are prepared using old methods dating back hundres of years.
Smoking Process
The fish are put in salt overnight to preserve them, they are then tied in pairs using twine and left overnight to dry. Once the Smokies have been tied and dried, they are hung over a triangular shaped length of wood to smoke. This kiln stick fits in the middle of the pair of Smokies, one fish either side. These kiln sticks are then used to hang the dried fish in a special barrel containing wood.
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 intense heat and presence of 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. It normally takes less than an hour of this process before the fish are ready to eat. There are still many local Arbroath merchants carrying out the traditional process, the most well known being the Spink Family.
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 intense heat and presence of 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. It normally takes less than an hour of this process before the fish are ready to eat. There are still many local Arbroath merchants carrying out the traditional process, the most well known being the