Smoking...

Yes I have been Smoking,

Not the coffin nail smoking been there, done it, stopped it, have the lung damage to prove it.

I have been Smoking food.

 I started it off yesterday with some of the garlic from last years harvest

 The garlic needed to be cold smoked for about 20 hours,

Cold smoking is just what it says, there is no heat generated just lots of smoke,

Cold smoking helps the smoke flavour to really penetrate the food.

I picked up a cold smoker last year

I bought it off Amazon it was one that was recommended in the smoking book

I bought the book at an event we went to last year

Anyway this is how it worked 

 I chose Maple smoking wood from the selection I have got,

 you fill the smoke generator with the sawdust

 light a candle place it in the holder

Once it starts smouldering and producing smoke, remove the candle and place the smoke generator into your cabinet, metal box old cupboard what ever you are using as a smoke cabinet,

Then leave it to smoulder away, the cold smoker will smoulder away for about 10 hours then need refilling, it produces a good amount of smoke.

I refilled it before going to bed and it was still going this morning.

I had taken some Haddock out of the freezer and this morning set it a dry salt brine

The salt helps to draw the moisture out, 

It only needed 30 mins in the salt

 I gave a good rinse in cold water to get rid of the salt patted it dry

 and added it to the smoker along with some home made pork and apple sausages I had taken out of the freezer and defrosted for the final four hours of the garlic being cold smoked.

Once the cold smoking was finished I took out all but 2 of the garlics

They are a lovely golden colour and smell wonderful.

It was now time to switch on the hot smoker,

Hot smoking cooks food, the cabinet I have has a thermostat

I filled the the ray with a mixture of maple and apple chips this time 

the tray sits on top of an electric element so there is hot smoke

 The temperature rises fairly fast

 And there is lots and lots of smoke its smells wonderful

 12 mins and the fish is done and out of the smoker

I had some hot on bread and butter so yummy.

after half an hour the sausages are done 

I am saving them until Martin comes home along with the garlic 

As well as playing with the smoker today 

I made myself a pudding

 Mrs Beetons recipe

 Steamed Syrup Sponge

 And I had some of it this evening with custard.

A lovely end to the day.

 

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