Arbroath smokies are a type of lightly smoked small haddock with a particularly good flavour and texture. The bright yellow, coarsely flavoured smoked haddock sold in most supermarkets is not a very good substitute for the real thing. You are better off hunting them out at a good fishmongers.

Arbroath is a small town on the east coast of Scotland, a little to the north of Dundee.

Arbroath smokies - 4

Single cream - 150 ml (¼ pint)

Watercress - 1 bunch

METHOD

Put the smokies in a frying pan and just cover with boiling water. Simmer for 5 minutes.

Remove the smokies, making sure they are well drained. Pour off the water from the pan and discard or save for fish stock.

Return the smokies to the pan, pour the cream over them and simmer gently for another 5 minutes.

Place the fish on a serving dish, pour the creamy sauce over and garnish with watercress.

Arbroath Smokies.

This is a scottish fish breakfast dish. It goes by a variety of names, the most common being the arbroath toastie due to the north east town being synonymous with the smoked fish which is used as the main ingredient.

Arbroath Toastie Recipe

Ingredients:

6 oz (175g) Fresh fron an Arbroath Smokie or smoked haddock

6 fluid ounces (175ml) milk

½ ounce (15g or 2 tablespoons) plain (all purpose) flour

1 ounce (25g) strong, hard, grated cheese

One egg (separated into white and yolk)

Salt, pepper for seasoning

4 slices of buttered toast (made when required)

Method:

0Heat the smoked haddock fish in quarter pint (150ml) of the milk in a saucepan. Bring to the boil then reduce the heat, cover and cook for approx five minutes (the fish should flake easily with a fork). Remove the fish from the pan and flake into small (half bite size)pieces.

Mix the flour with the rest of the milk and then stir into the milk in the saucepan. Bring to the boil and cook for two minutes, strirring continuously until a thick consitency. Stir in the grated cheese, egg yolk and flaked fish. Season to taste with salt & pepper then heat through.

Whisk the egg white until it is stiff and fold in to the mixture. Then, put the toast(already toasted) on a grill (broiler) rack and spoon the fish mixture onto each slice of toast(covering as much as possible or the toast will simply burn). Place under a hot grill until it is lightly browned. Serve immediately.

.

Great Arbroath Smokies served on Potato Pancakes and garnished with Creme Fraiche with Chives

Serves: Four

two Arbroath Smokies

lemon

creme fraiche - enough for four blobs

fresh chives

350 gms floury potatoes

two eggs

olive oil or butter

salt and pepper

Peel the potatoes and cook in salted boiling water until just done. Meanwhile take the bones out of the Smokies, trim, remove the skin, cut into four pieces and put into an ovenproof pan and dot with a little butter .

Drain the potatoes well, mash with two tablespoonfuls of olive oil or butter and season with salt and pepper. Beat the two eggs and sir into the potato, you should get a texture rather like a sponge mixture . If you want thinner pancakes add a little milk.

Put the fish into the oven at 400°F/200°C/Reg6 and warm through for seven or eight minutes. Meanwhile put a splash of oil into a frying pan over a medium heat. Add two heaped tablespoonfuls of the potato mixture per pancake and fry turning once or twice until nicely brown .

Serve by putting a pancake on a serving plate, lay on top the fish, squeeze over a little lemon juice, add a dollop of creme fraiche, and sprinkle over a little chopped chives.