Finnan or Arerdeen Haddocks
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare the fish
Clean the haddocks thoroughly and split them.
Remove the heads and sprinkle salt on the fish.
Let the salted haddocks sit for 2 hours, or overnight if storing for more than a week.
Hang the haddocks in the open air to dry for 2 to 3 hours.
Smoke
Smoke the haddocks in a chimney over peat or hardwood sawdust.
If no chimney is available, use an old cask open at both ends with sawdust and a red-hot iron inside.
Place rods across the top of the cask and hang the haddocks by the tail in pairs.
Maintain an even heat to avoid spoiling the fish.
The haddocks should turn a fine yellow color in about 12 hours.
Cook and serve
When ready to cook, remove the skin.
Boil or broil the haddocks; they are typically served for breakfast.
Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures.
Explore the science
What each ingredient does
- Haddocks
- Forms the main body of the dish, becoming firm and flaky when cooked after smoking.
- Coarse sea salt
- Draws out moisture and seasons the fish, helping preserve it before smoking.
The step that matters
Maintain an even heat while smoking. Uneven or excessive heat can scorch or spoil the fish before it dries and takes on colour, so steady low heat gives an even smoke and a uniform yellow finish.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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