Everything Smoked

Once you’ve tasted smoked paprika, you’ll never want anything else. And that’s actually how it goes with everything that’s smoked: it’s addictively delicious. Difficult to do yourself? According to cookbook author Charlotte Pike in her book Smoked it isn’t.

Charlotte Pike previously wrote the cookbook Fermented, and for some reason these two preparation techniques are natural extensions of each other. Together with drying and preserving, these traditional forgotten methods came back into fashion a few years ago.

Hunter-gatherers
But for a long time, they continued to have the image of modern urban hunter-gatherers who revered these old techniques in and with the wild outdoors. You had to be a bit of a geek for it.

With her book Smoked (why not Gerookt?), Pike dispels this ‘prejudice’. You can smoke food perfectly well at home, even on your tiny third-floor balcony. And I don’t mean cigarettes.

Hot and cold
Pike explains schematically the difference between hot and cold smoking and the types of smokers available. From an outdoor hot smoker to a hot stovetop smoker that you can use in your kitchen.

You can smoke food even on your balcony.

She also explains what you need to do in preparation, what you absolutely need, which type of wood and matches to use, and which safety measures to take. She even explains how to easily make a small smoker yourself.

Smoked butter fudge
And smoking goes much further than salmon, mackerel, herring, trout, scallops and eel. I’m crazy about smoked mozzarella, a preparation method for which is included in the book, along with a recipe for melanzane parmigiana made with that smoked mozzarella. Smoked butter is another favourite component. I had never heard of the smoked butter fudge she makes with it, and which you can now make too.

Pike’s book is clearly and simply organised: first a smoking method for a particular ingredient, followed by one or more recipes based around it. I’ll have that smoked mushroom ragout with fresh-herb polenta, please.

Smoked dinner
Whether I’ll actually be smoking at home on my floating vegetable garden, I can’t promise Pike (#sorry). I’d rather make sure someone in my circle gets hold of this book and then invites me over for a full smoked dinner.

I only have one complaint: there happens to be no recipe in the book for my all-time favourite, smoked paprika. But I’m sure my host will figure that out.

Smoked
Charlotte Pike
Good Cook Publishing
19,95 euro