I've been remiss, I confess, over eatWashington updates, distracted by unexpectedly rewarding food travels in Scotland. Among people visited was Iain Spink who hot-smokes haddock over a whisky barrel in the proper tradition that produces the Arbroath smokie. Definitely not to be confused with the kipper (a cold-smoked herring), the Arbroath smokie even has its own equivalent of France's 'Appelation Controllée' distinction - a PGI award, for Protected Geographical Indication label – one of only 20 PGI  foods in Britain. 

The Arbroath smokie is the melting white fleshed fish at the top of the photo. Beneath is British TV Food Awards winner Iain's equally delectable smoked trout...

Read all about it and how (and why) Iain smokes it in a whisky barrel in my article on the Dine and Cook web site and salivate...