Fish, salt, smoke and time... saluting Cork’s smokehouses

THERE are three ingredients required in the craft of smoking fish: salt, smoke and time.

Like all the best foods, the difference lies in the hands of the artisans. The deftness of touch, the years of innate knowledge, and knowing when everything is just right.

From Mizen to Youghal, and every inlet in between, Cork boasts a coastline 1,200km in length. We should, therefore, not be surprised it is home to some of Ireland’s most iconic smokehouses and the craftspeople who work with the elements to produce smoked fish of quality.

Woodcock Smokery, near Skibbereen

Instagram @woodcocksmokery

Sally Ferns Barnes only works with wild fish. It’s a simple ethos, but one she rigidly adheres to, even if that means the number of fish that pass through her hands, most notably the Wild Atlantic Salmon, conspicuously declines year on year.

It is this that Sally is best known for: she was the first Irish producer to receive the Supreme Champion at the Great Taste Awards in 2006 for her cold-smoked salmon.

But there is also the quintessential taste of the seasonal delights of her hot-smoked Albacore Tuna and Mackerel, and the cold-smoked pearlescence of pollock and hake; all transcendent tastes of the ocean from whence they came.

The Keep, adjacent to her diminutive smokehouse, is the space she holds for passing her knowledge on to anyone wishing to learn more about this traditional food practice.

From simple tastings to whole day events, learning to prepare and smoke fillets of precious wild fish, visitors will leave with so much more than a new set of skills and a belly full of delicious fish!

Hederman Smokehouse, Belvelly, Cobh Instagram @hedermansmokedfish

Frank and Caroline are the duo behind the iconic Hederman Smokehouse, Ireland’s only remaining timber smokehouse, and one of only a few still in operation worldwide.

The interaction between wood and smoke imparts a distinctive flavour, aroma and hue to the fish that mingle with the elements in this cabinet.

Celebrating 40 years of artisanship, Frank has always taken his craft seriously, reflected in the quality sourcing of the fish they prepare: a mix of organic and wild.

His commitment earned him recognition by the awarding of the Walter Scheel Medaille, “a prestigious European award which recognises outstanding services to the preservation of European culinary traditions, and as such an exceptional contribution to European cultural heritage.”

Farmhouse butter, mussels, eels, and mackerel, all nestle inside the smoky wooden cabinet, and in recent times, a cornucopia of ready to eat prepared foods such as pates, crushes and chowder.

In the summer, public tours of the smokehouse can be pre-booked, where you can learn The Hederman Way with this craft, view the smokehouse, and enjoy a tasting platter.

Ummera Smokehouse, Inchybridge, Timoleague

Instagram @ummera

Established in 1975, Ummera Smokehouse is one of Ireland’s longest running smokehouses. Through almost half a century of operation, artisan Anthony Cresswell has navigated the ever-changing landscape of Ireland’s marine economy, yet the recipe and technique for smoking fish has remained unchanged since it was perfected by his father in the early 1970s. The Ummera cure includes sweet cane sugar as well as salt and smoke, and every fillet is pin boned, trimmed and packed by hand.

Anthony was inspired to develop Ummera because of his father’s love of angling for wild salmon on the Argideen River. It was a time when working exclusively with wild fish was the norm, but as this changed, he altered tack and began sourcing quality organic salmon instead.

This precipitated a widening of what could be smoked in the purpose-built smokehouse nestled among the trees.

So, alongside sides of cold-smoked salmon and Scandinavian-style Gravadlax, is smoked chicken, bacon, Picanha beef, and duck.

K O’Connell Fishmongers, Cork & Bandon.

Instagram @ko_connells_fishmonger

Ireland’s famous fishmonger has welcomed monarchs and continually served the people of Cork since 1962.

From humble beginnings, Mrs O’Connell sourced her fresh fish from Castletownbere herself, bringing it all the way from farthest west Cork to the stall in the English Market - a tradition that continues today!

Seven years ago, the O’Connells opened their own smokehouse in Bandon. From here, they receive their fillets of reared salmon, prepare them to their exact specification, and smoke them over oak, ensuring a continuous year-round supply. It enables O’Connell’s to manage the whole delicate process to the exacting standards applied to every piece of fish and seafood sold at their fish counters across the city.

Ballycotton Seafood, Ballycotton

Instagram @ballycottonseafood_

As boats return to the fishing village, the fishmongers of Ballycotton Seafood stand ready to take fish fresh off the boat and directly into their processing facility. Here, they sort and fillet their fish, despatching it out to fish counters, restaurants and cafes right across the county, and also to Midleton for curing and smoking salmon, haddock and mackerel over oak.

Ballycotton Seafood have been awarded €1.1million to invest in upgrading their production facilities and improving automation and efficiencies at their headquarters in Garryvoe. This is supported by a €300,000 grant under the Brexit Processing Capital Support Scheme, recommended by the Seafood Taskforce established by Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue.

Implemented by Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM), the scheme is funded by the European Union under the Brexit Adjustment Reserve.