Euan Myles

Arbroth Smokies

Iain R Spink – ‘The Arbroath Smokie Man.’
Arbroath Smokies originated in Auchmithie, a small fishing village a few miles north of Arbroath.Sticks of fish are then placed over the pit and the hessian cover allows the fire to breathe and maintain the required heat. The number of layers and dampening of the ‘cloots’ depends on the weather, and may be adjusted throughout the smoking to prevent the fish either smoking too quickly and burning, or smoking too slowly and drying out. The cooking time is usually a minimum of 30–40 minutes but only an experienced smokie maker knows exactly when they are ready. The resultant golden brown fish, eaten straight from the barrel is a truly mouth-watering experience that has to be tasted to be believed! Some Smokie afficionados have even been moved to write poetry...