How we smoke catfish, the slow way

Start with a clean fish

Good smoked fish begins as good fresh fish. We harvest in the early morning, clean each fish in our tiled room, and rinse it in salted water. Some cooks like the fish curled, nose to tail, which helps it sit on the rack and fit the pot.

Choose the right wood

We burn hardwood offcuts from a sawmill on Abak Road: dense, slow-burning and low in resin. Soft woods burn hot and fast and leave a bitter taste. The aim is a low, steady smoke, not flames.

Low and slow, for two days

Fish go onto mesh racks in our clay kilns. For the first hours the heat is gentle, to dry the surface. Then we build a steadier smoke and turn every rack by hand through the night. By the second afternoon the fish is firm, golden and light.

Cool before packing

Packing warm fish traps moisture, and moisture spoils fish. We let every rack cool fully in the shade before packing in breathable bags, which is why our smoked fish keeps for three weeks in a cool, dry place.

Cooking with smoked catfish

Soak briefly in warm salted water to soften and clean, then add to afang, edikang ikong, banga or egusi in the last fifteen minutes. It brings a deep smokiness to the pot without breaking up.