Food smoking is using flavoured wood smoke in a confined space - like the hood of a barbecue - and does one of two things; either food curing or food cooking. Cold smoking cures and flavours, hot smoking cooks & flavours, & water smoking cooks slower, still flavours and leaves the food more succulent.

Hot smoking is the same as roasting in a hot oven ie between 150-200°C but with the added smoke flavour from putting wood chips in the fire. Food can cook in a couple of hours as it would in your kitchen oven.

Water smoking is where the heat goes into simmering a bowl of liquid (water, beer, wine, cider...) rather than heating the air. The chips either go in the fire or water bowel (interesting debate here!). The 'flavoured' steam, which never gets any hotter than just over 100°C, then cooks the food. It takes about 2-3 times longer than a conventional hot oven. It doesn't suck any moisture out of the food but does allow the smoke flavour to permeate deep. Chicken and the Christmas turkey smoked this way is my favourite.

Cold smoking is done between 21-31C (70-88F) ideally below 25C (77F) and is a way of preserving meats & fish and flavouring cheese. (Hot smoking cheese produces interesting results though ;). Food is soaked in a salt/sugar liquid for a few hours before drying in smoke. The smoke dries the skin, permeates the food and produces a barrier to bacteria and pests. Food will often take days to cure.

There are a couple of cold(ish) smokers on the market, most smokers can be adapted with care - it's to easy to cook rather than cure - but the best results are often from home built units where the food is kept away from the heat.

Smoking takes a few moments to learn but a lifetime to master.

"ME Page