Stop and smell the smoke.
January 27, 2010 11:04 AM Subscribe
Smoke themed/flavored/used as a method food! Gimme your ideas!
Here's the skinny: three couples celebrating the (tobacco) smoke-free-ness of one of us. We're trying to come up with a menu of smoke-themed, smoke-flavored, smoke used-as-a-method foods. The problem: none of us like smoke flavoring in general. Smoked fish? We don't care for it. Grilling out? It's freaking COLD where we are, but could be an option, maybe. Also, there are three pesco-vegetarians among the six of us. Internet searching brings loads and loads of smoke-flavored foods, few of which appeal to us.
Help us think beyond smoked gouda, smoked trout and cherries jubilee. We're all very adept in the kitchen but we just can't seem to wrap our brains around this. Looking for: appetizers, main dish, dessert, drinks, small bites; anything and everything you've seen, tried, or dreamed of in terms of smoke + food. Think of this as a brainstorming session: no ideas are stupid.
Here's the skinny: three couples celebrating the (tobacco) smoke-free-ness of one of us. We're trying to come up with a menu of smoke-themed, smoke-flavored, smoke used-as-a-method foods. The problem: none of us like smoke flavoring in general. Smoked fish? We don't care for it. Grilling out? It's freaking COLD where we are, but could be an option, maybe. Also, there are three pesco-vegetarians among the six of us. Internet searching brings loads and loads of smoke-flavored foods, few of which appeal to us.
Help us think beyond smoked gouda, smoked trout and cherries jubilee. We're all very adept in the kitchen but we just can't seem to wrap our brains around this. Looking for: appetizers, main dish, dessert, drinks, small bites; anything and everything you've seen, tried, or dreamed of in terms of smoke + food. Think of this as a brainstorming session: no ideas are stupid.
Ha, I was just going to post my/the askme that Zamboni posted. That thread introduced me to so much gooooooood smoky food. Since that time, I've also discovered smoked string cheese and gone headfirst down the expensive-but-worth-it rabbithole of smoky whisky.
posted by fake at 11:14 AM on January 27, 2010
posted by fake at 11:14 AM on January 27, 2010
Best answer: Personally, I'd make a brisket, but of course that won't work for your vegetarian friends. What about these?
Smoked Veggie Chili
Smoked Veggies Queso
Make use of smoked paprika or chipotle peppers (smoked jalapenos) in adobo sauce. Roasted red bell peppers also have a smoky taste. You could definitely make a pizza with either of those peppers. You could also make a quesadilla with smoked veggies and cheese, adding smoked turkey for those who eat meat. Can you smoke tofu?
posted by runningwithscissors at 11:17 AM on January 27, 2010
Smoked Veggie Chili
Smoked Veggies Queso
Make use of smoked paprika or chipotle peppers (smoked jalapenos) in adobo sauce. Roasted red bell peppers also have a smoky taste. You could definitely make a pizza with either of those peppers. You could also make a quesadilla with smoked veggies and cheese, adding smoked turkey for those who eat meat. Can you smoke tofu?
posted by runningwithscissors at 11:17 AM on January 27, 2010
Best answer: Chipotle peppers are actually smoked jalapeno peppers so they add a nice alternative smokey flavor to dishes. I really like these Smashed Sweet Potatoes with chipotle.
While looking for that recipe I noticed this one that sounds yummy.
And don't forget a tasty beverage.
posted by Pangloss at 11:20 AM on January 27, 2010
While looking for that recipe I noticed this one that sounds yummy.
And don't forget a tasty beverage.
posted by Pangloss at 11:20 AM on January 27, 2010
There's a bunch of interesting smoke shit in the Momofuku cookbook. One thing they do is make smoked eggs. They take a bunch of water, put it in some smoke so the water gets smokey. Then, they cook eggs in it. I think they use the internet's beloved "cook it in hundred-something degree water for an hour so its like a perfectly poached egg" technique.
I thought it was a neat idea anyway.
posted by jeb at 11:25 AM on January 27, 2010 [1 favorite]
I thought it was a neat idea anyway.
posted by jeb at 11:25 AM on January 27, 2010 [1 favorite]
Best answer: I have some amazing alder smoked salt I bough at an expensive grocery store. It works great on just about any dish where regular salt does, and is nice touch on some sweet dishes, like sprinkled over caramel ice cream! Buy some and experiment.
posted by crabintheocean at 11:26 AM on January 27, 2010
posted by crabintheocean at 11:26 AM on January 27, 2010
Ooh, you could also rim a margarita glass with it...
posted by crabintheocean at 11:27 AM on January 27, 2010
posted by crabintheocean at 11:27 AM on January 27, 2010
Best answer: Smoked hot peppers (be they habeneros or jalapenos) make a deliciously smoky hot sauce when pureed with carrot/onion/mango/vinegar/salt.
posted by wrok at 11:30 AM on January 27, 2010
posted by wrok at 11:30 AM on January 27, 2010
Make your own marshmallows flavored with liquid smoke (or smoked salt).
posted by milkrate at 11:40 AM on January 27, 2010
posted by milkrate at 11:40 AM on January 27, 2010
Best answer: I'll say now what I said to Zamboni: rauchbier. It may not offend your smoke flavoring tastes... it's a bit different. Give it a try!
posted by tss at 11:52 AM on January 27, 2010
posted by tss at 11:52 AM on January 27, 2010
Best answer: I'm damned if I can find any reference to it now, but in the last season of UK MasterChef one of the chefs made something like poached eggs on toast.
He popped the plate of food under a glass cloche, then tipped just the very edge of the cloche up, and fanned either smoke (or possibly dry ice) into the cloche, before closing it and trapping in the smoke (or dry ice).
That way, when the judges lifted the cloche - ta da! Hazy, wispy smoke which looked amazing and added a very light hint of flavour to the dish.
I've no idea how you would accomplish this at home, and I wish I could find a clip of the episode, but this might be a nice touch for a group of people who like the idea of smoke but not the taste of it!
posted by citands at 11:58 AM on January 27, 2010
He popped the plate of food under a glass cloche, then tipped just the very edge of the cloche up, and fanned either smoke (or possibly dry ice) into the cloche, before closing it and trapping in the smoke (or dry ice).
That way, when the judges lifted the cloche - ta da! Hazy, wispy smoke which looked amazing and added a very light hint of flavour to the dish.
I've no idea how you would accomplish this at home, and I wish I could find a clip of the episode, but this might be a nice touch for a group of people who like the idea of smoke but not the taste of it!
posted by citands at 11:58 AM on January 27, 2010
Don't sweat it too much if you can't actually smoke the foods you're cooking. Liquid smoke is a pretty solid substitute. Also fun, the liquid smoke making process is much like operating a giant bong.
posted by electroboy at 12:06 PM on January 27, 2010
posted by electroboy at 12:06 PM on January 27, 2010
I made some bacon-flavored & chocolate chip ice cream a while back and used some liquid smoke in the otherwise vanilla ice cream. You can just skip the bacon.
posted by knile at 12:44 PM on January 27, 2010
posted by knile at 12:44 PM on January 27, 2010
Dip roast lamb meat torn off the joint (or individual lamb shanks) into oak smoked salt and cumin powder.
posted by Sarosmith at 1:00 PM on January 27, 2010
posted by Sarosmith at 1:00 PM on January 27, 2010
Lapsang Souchong tea is famous for its "pine-fire" smoky flavor.
posted by zoomorphic at 1:01 PM on January 27, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by zoomorphic at 1:01 PM on January 27, 2010 [1 favorite]
Best answer: I've made very tasty lapsang souchong tea eggs. They turned out really well, following one of the many tea egg recipes on the internet only using lapsang souchong instead. Yum yum. They tasted lightly bacon-y.
posted by soleiluna at 1:18 PM on January 27, 2010
posted by soleiluna at 1:18 PM on January 27, 2010
Response by poster: You saw this, right?
Yeah, and I remember when I read it the first time I thought, "Ew, I hate smoky things!" I'm specifically looking for things that do not taste smoky. No smoked fish, no smoked cheese, etc. The majority of that thread is advocating for smoky things. I'm looking for things more like chipotle, which doesn't taste of smoke.
I like the idea of the tea eggs and the wisps of smoke. Citands, I actually do know how to do the smoke-under-a-cloche-thing; it hadn't occurred to me to suggest it.
It's harder than it seems, to get the idea of smoke without the taste of smoke. We liked the challenge! Now perhaps we'll just go simple.
posted by cooker girl at 1:33 PM on January 27, 2010
Yeah, and I remember when I read it the first time I thought, "Ew, I hate smoky things!" I'm specifically looking for things that do not taste smoky. No smoked fish, no smoked cheese, etc. The majority of that thread is advocating for smoky things. I'm looking for things more like chipotle, which doesn't taste of smoke.
I like the idea of the tea eggs and the wisps of smoke. Citands, I actually do know how to do the smoke-under-a-cloche-thing; it hadn't occurred to me to suggest it.
It's harder than it seems, to get the idea of smoke without the taste of smoke. We liked the challenge! Now perhaps we'll just go simple.
posted by cooker girl at 1:33 PM on January 27, 2010
Best answer: this is such an egg-themed thread! i came in here to mention the smoked trout deviled eggs i tried recently. i have no idea how they were made, but they were heavenly.
also, if you're open to things where only the name is smoky, smoking bishop is a delicious drink made with port and citrus and magic.
posted by dizziest at 1:48 PM on January 27, 2010
also, if you're open to things where only the name is smoky, smoking bishop is a delicious drink made with port and citrus and magic.
posted by dizziest at 1:48 PM on January 27, 2010
smoked tofu is delicious! (scroll to the bottom of the page) Cut it up in cubes, toss with a bit of oil, and then bake at 375 for about 15 minutes - it will be crispy/chewy and yummy as an appetizer
posted by 5_13_23_42_69_666 at 4:15 PM on January 27, 2010
posted by 5_13_23_42_69_666 at 4:15 PM on January 27, 2010
Best answer: Came in here to suggest something. Guess what it was?
posted by lapsangsouchong at 8:04 PM on January 27, 2010
posted by lapsangsouchong at 8:04 PM on January 27, 2010
This thread is closed to new comments.
Maybe tea-smoked duck (tea-smoked anything, really, yum!)?
posted by peachfuzz at 11:08 AM on January 27, 2010