On Tue, 16 Dec 2003 13:41:15 GMT, Jaques d'Alltrades
wrote:

The message
from martin contains these words:
On Tue, 16 Dec 2003 00:16:23 GMT, Jaques d'Alltrades
wrote:
The message
from martin contains these words:

Since 99% of kippers, smoked haddock etc. ... are made the same way in
UK they probably thought that that was what was expected.

I think that's an overestimate. A lot of kippers, mackerel etc are still
smoked in traditional kilns, (I used to be MD of a fish-processing
company) and more are smoked in Torry Kilns, where the smoke is
circulated rather than passing the fish just once, on its way out of the
chimney.

There are a few smokeries left in UK, but not enough to provide the
quantities of "smoked" fish sold by UK supermarkets.
Rick Stein commented on the situation in one of his programs.
In NL I have never come across dyed fish. There are smokeries
everywhere.

All the places where I get fish either have both, or only properly
smoked stuff.

I am amazed that neither UK nor the EU hasn't banned the dyed stuff
long ago.

After this we will discuss "smoked" bacon. :-)

Tesco's fish counter at Harford Bridge in Norwich has a
good range of properly smoked stuff, as do most of the fishmongers'
caravan mobile shops.

but not the ones in the York area or if they do it's an innovation.


The situation really isn't as bad as it's painted.

but the fish is?


If you go to any big supermarket and ask which of the smoked fish on
sale is genuinely smoked and not just dyed, first they say it all is
and then if you argue they get the manager of the department and he
admits it is around zero.

Well, all the supermarkets I use would tell you correctly which was
which - if you couldn't tell from the appearance.

I can :-((



Just avoid the ones which look as if they've been decorated with
ox-blood bootpolish.

It must be fairly simple to smoke your own garlic.

An old oil drum, some oak chips a bit of old sacking and bobs your
uncle.

Um, no. You need a much higher chimney or you'll overcook them. Do you
know if they are hot-smoked, or cold-smoked?

I didn't know smoked garlic existed until recently.
They smoke fish in the Zuiderzee museum with the kit I listed. I
smoked some myself with a Webber smoker that I got in a sale.
They sell home smokers in angling shops in NL.

Aye, and the results are (IMO) pretty ghastly. Too quick and too hot.

I think it depends on the type of smoker. The Webber is controllable
as are the ones that originate in the former East Germany, the flat
things that cremate salmon and trout are awful.

The guy with oil drum in Enkhuizen makes the best kippers I have had
anywhere.

It amused me that the old guy in the local smokery used to give me oak
chips and encouragement when I smoked my own. It's not really a thing
to do in an urban area so i stopped before somebody called the fire
brigade or the police.

If you haven't been to the Zuiderzee how can you comment if you have
then you don't know perfect kippers when you are offered them.

I've had 'smoked brown trout' from one of those and I reckon it degraded
the trout from something to die for into something to shun at all costs.

/snip/

I should say that Dutch stuff bought from a farm is very nice.

I've no doubt. i wouldn't be surprised to discover that most of the
Dutch cheese sold over here was of the same quality as most of the
so-called Cheddar available.

I remember immediate post war "mouse trap"Dutch Cheddar almost as bad
as Canadian Cheddar.


I used to make a goats' cheese when I had a smallholding. A blue,
full-cream pressed cheese matured for nine months. Phwoar!

yum


We can agree on that. I understand that the Dutch men-o'war used cheeses
as cannonballs to very good effect......

nagelkaas? :-)

Yuk! Fingernail cheese?

no just nail cheese.
The "nails" are cloves.
--
Martin