Smoked Haddock-A Brief History
No yellow dye please, we’re British!
I have always been fond of smoked haddock, it’s one of my favourite smoked foods and there are some particularly fine ones to be had from my home town of Grimsby. They have featured on my menus on and off for years now although with ever decreasing stocks this could also become a more ‘off than on’.
Of all the smokeries in the UK it was the village of Finnan near Aberdeen which put the illustrious haddock on the culinary map, their haddocks were originally smoked over peat and their reputation for quality has stayed with them.
It is another Scottish fishing village with can be thanked for the now legendary, ‘Arbroath Smokie’, originally from the village of Auchmithie the fishermen who devised the smoking method for the haddock moved to Arbroath were the legend was born. Originally smoked over oak barrels filled with smoking oak and silver birch the haddocks were smoked closed unlike the finnan which is smoked split down the middle.
As nice as the Arbroath smokie is the price they fetch is another matter entirely. I use the excellent natural smoked haddocks from Grimsby, avoiding those awful bright yellow monstrosities like the proverbial plague.
Cooking smoked haddock is easy, poach in flavoured (bay leaf, peppercorns) milk or grilled with butter and a little black pepper, they make an excellent chowder or simple breakfast with a poached egg or two. My favourite way of eating it is as part of a kedgeree with some lightly boiled eggs folded through at the last moment and a backnote of mild curry powder served hot but equally nice as a cold salad. If you’re feeling flush then serve a fillet on a toasted muffin with some buttered spinach, a poached egg and a generous dollop of hollandaise sauce.
Miles,
That sounds good to me. Sometimes the farmers market here brings smoked eel and I have developed a taste for that too. Let’s have the full version of Collins Kedgeree.
Cid
March 2, 2008 @ 10:36 am
Miles,
I enjoy Smoked Haddock and buy it from time to time. The only drawback is that the cooking smell tends to linger in the house.
Elsie
March 2, 2008 @ 5:02 pm
Cid,
Smoked Eel is great, perfect with bacon and mashed potatoes. Will sort out a kedgeree recipe.
Miles
March 2, 2008 @ 5:53 pm
Why is it that they have to dye Haddock such a bright yellow colour? I’m guessing the original method of smoking left it this colour because of the wood they used (?)
April 25, 2008 @ 8:40 am
Ursula,
It is, as far as I am aware purely for cosmetic reasons. Why we need to have a bright yellow piece of fish on our plate is anyone’s guess though.
Welcome to the site and thankyou for taking the time to comment
Miles
April 25, 2008 @ 9:40 am