Smoky Cocktail Sauce is very easy to do by simply smoking the Tomatoes for the recipe!
GIVING AN EDGE TO SMOKY COCKTAIL SAUCE
You’ve seen me use the Orion Cooker before for cooking and smoking more traditional items. Now, see how I produced a great hot smoked tomato using a blend of Sugar Maple and Wild Cherry wood chips to bring subtle smoke flavor. Once smoked, I take the smoked tomato and produce a smoked tomato cocktail sauce that has so many uses.
With its French origin, bisque is known as a creamy, thick soup that originally was made with stock from various crustacean shells like lobster, crab and shrimp. Over the years, it has been simplified with many acceptable variations, one of which I will be using in my recipe.
What brings up the flavor of this seafood bisque recipe is my technique of wood-firing the seafood meats for an elevated taste. I’m going to give you a few methods of adding this flavor with some equipment choices. Then I’ll tell you how to use that great hearty seafood in an easy wood fired seafood bisque recipe that blends the creaminess with that bit of bold from the wood fire.
Wood Fired Seafood Bisque- Gas Grill Method
One of the benefits of using a gas grill is the heat level control and speed at which the grill can do what you want. For this method of grilling, I’ll use just two wood chunks from SmokinLicious® in the double filet size and place in a smoker box. Set the burners to medium on one side of the grill only and allow the wood chunks to begin to smoke (the smoker box is placed on the grill grate above the lit burners). Then place a grill-safe pan (I like to use disposable aluminum pans) containing your choice of seafood. I’m using mussels, shrimp, squid, and imitation crab or pollock. I place all these items in my pan with just a touch of oil and place the prepared pan on the unlit side of the grill. This will just take about 10 minutes to flavor the seafood. Remember, there is no need to fully cook all the items as we will finish that process in the soup pot. Once done, remove the seafood to a bowl.
Wood Fired Seafood Bisque- Stovetop Smoker Method
Stovetop smokers are perfect for the person who lives in a location that a grill isn’t possible, or who prefers to cook indoors but craves smoke flavor. I’m using a simple DIY stove top smoker you can make using a stockpot, foil, and a round roasting rack. You can find our step-by-step directive on this here.
SmokinLicious® offers a great assortment of wood chip sizing with recommendations specifically for stovetop smokers. I am using a custom blend of Grande Sapore® Wood Chips that includes Cherry, Alder, and Maple hardwoods.
Unlike the gas grill method, with this one, you will be infusing the seafood with direct heat and wood infusion by placing your cooking container directly on the roasting rack. Given the smaller size of the smoker area, you may need to wood-fire your seafood choices in batches.
Wood Fired Seafood Bisque- Chimney Starter Method
As I mentioned that this is a quick means of introducing wood flavor to seafood, you can use a chimney starter equipped with a small grill grate to do the actual smoking. This is the method I’ll be using for this recipe.
I simply fill a chimney starter with charcoal, place it on a cylinder block, and lite it. Once the coals have turned grey and no active flame is present, I place a small grill grate on the top of the chimney starter, then add my pan of seafood meat. This will take about the same time as the gas grill method – 10 minutes. Once ready, I remove the pan and set aside while I start the bisque base for the soup.
Making a Bisque
The ingredients you will need to make the bisque base are:
1 cup of butter (2 sticks or 226g)
1 small onion diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
½ cup of all-purpose flour (65g)
2 tablespoons of tomato paste
2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning
2 teaspoons Old Bay seasoning
½ cup of white wine or sherry (59ml)
4 cups heavy cream (1 quart or 945ml)
4 cups whole milk (1 quart or 945ml)
1-1/2 pounds (680g) raw seafood of choice that has been wood-fired as noted above)
Start by melting the butter in a stockpot placed over medium-high heat. Once melted, add the flour and whisk together to begin the roux or thickening process. Add the onion and garlic next, whisking as you add each ingredient. Allow these to cook for about 30 seconds, then add the Cajun and Old Bay seasonings and tomato paste. Reduce the heat to medium at this point, as you continue to whisk everything together. Add the wine, whisking. Now time to add the final liquids. This will be done in small portions to keep the consistency and flavors blending. Start with 1 cup of the milk, whisking, then 1 cup of the cream. Stay vigilant with the whisking while you add the milk and cream to ensure binding. Once the bisque is made, add the bowl of previously wood fired seafood and reduce the heat to low. Heat completely through.Velvety Smooth Richness
For serving this creamy soup, I prefer to sprinkle each bowl with some fresh chopped parsley or cilantro. I also slice up some crusty bread like a great French baguette. That’s it! Super easy but flavors that appear as if this bisque took days to make.
Now you can enjoy a video tutorial on this recipe as we collaborated with our friends at Passing It On. Get the visual step-by-step directive on making this fabulous, rich bisque!
Tasting Notes:
Although you can use any crustacean, fish or seafood of your choice, the best options are: lobster, crab, clam, oyster, mussel, cod. Since this has a lot of fat content already in the soup base, it is best to avoid fattier fish like salmon.
What’s your favorite way to make seafood bisque?
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Have I got a great treat for you! Featuring smoked ricotta, I’m making a pastry horn filled with the sweetness of cinnamon infused smoked ricotta with a touch of crushed almond and shredded coconut. I have an easy method of making the puff pastry horns that don’t require purchased molds and helpful hints on filling these light, golden horns of goodness.
Looking to add some smoky flavor to your BBQ try this smoked Potato salad recipe and please everyone’s taste buds!
POTATO SALAD GETS SMOKE INFUSION
Without question, potatoes are my favorite vegetable to expose to smoke vapor. For one, it is so easy to do whether you select a gas/LP grill, charcoal grill, convection grill, or electric unit. Additionally, it takes such a short amount of time to cook them this way.
I purchased several heads of broccoli recently and decided to smoke them using one of my favorite short cut methods for smoke vapor infusion. My Nordic Ware Kettle Stove Top Smoker allows me to get the flavor level I like in about 20 minutes using only my stove for fuel.
As with most breakfast potato recipes, this one has just a handful ingredients to make it oh so memorable at the breakfast table. It starts with a key ingredient – smoked potato – which you can find the technique for in our previous posting. This is a recipe that can certainly accommodate your specific preferences so alter it as you please. For my rendition, you’ll need the following:
It’s Asparagus season and that means you should get the most out of this sensational vegetable while it’s fresh! Be sure to visit our series on the ember roasting of fresh asparagus (see the previous blog) so you can move on to our fabulous recipes. Our featured recipe in this series is Crostini with Ember Roasted Asparagus, Pimento & Olive Spread, a perfect snack, appetizer, and certainly a spur of the moment food for the pop in visitor. So, here we go!
One of the most versatile vegetables is now in season and can be used in both hot and cold side dishes and main courses. In this series, we will be roasting our peas using a hot smoking method to bring the great wood-fired flavour.
Ingredients- Smoking Snow Peas
At least 1 lb of peas, I like sugar snap peas
Almond oil
Sea Salt & Fresh Pepper
A charcoal smoker, any size will do
A disposable foil pan or vegetable pan or basket that is high heat tolerant
I’ll be using my Stok Drum Charcoal Grill for this series. As the Stok has its own charcoal basket, I won’t need to prepare any additional lump hardwood charcoal. I am using a direct method of cooking. I place my charcoal in the unit’s charcoal basket leaving my grate insert off for now. Once the coals turn gray, I will lift the charcoal basket and allow the coals to advance into the cooking drum. I then grate insert off as I will use my vegetable pan to go right over the top of the insert area.
Adding Grande Sapore cherry wood chips
Pea Preparation
While the coals have been firing, I start preparation on the peas. As I am using sugar snap peas for this recipe there is very little preparation that has to be done. I first will remove all the string membrane that is attached to one side of the snap pea. If any stems are left on, I will remove those as well. I then wash the peas in a colander and then allow them to drip dry, shaking my colander occasionally to rid any excess water. If needed, I will pat dry the peas to ensure they are ready for the fire. Then I sprinkle on some Almond oil, sea salt, and fresh pepper to the peas. Now, we’re ready to wood fire!
My coals are hot, the wood chips are smoking, and the peas are ready to be kissed by fire! I place the vegetable pan on the center of the grill and leave my grill cover off. When cooking with wood, know that some temperature fluctuation can occur due to the natural variation in combustion so don’t leave the Peas unattended. Once you see the peas start to char, give them a toss with a spoon to ensure an even char cook.
Placing the peas on the Stok grill pan
Usually, you will see char begin about 4-5 minutes into the cooking cycle. Once that occurs, you will be looking at another couple of minutes before the peas will be ready to come off the grill. Be sure you monitor that you don’t go too far with the smoking process. If the peas begin to shrivel and wrinkle, you went too far. You can remove them and place in an ice bath or run under cold water to stop any additional cooking from taking place.
Smoking Snow Peas- Recipe Ideas
It’s so hard to explain the aroma that comes from the grill when you wood fire vegetables. Keep in mind, that even when the vegetables are chilled, they will retain their char flavor. Here are some tips to finishing these beautiful smoked sugar snow peas: add some crumbled feta cheese and serve, or a splash of lemon juice and dill, or even a dollop of ricotta cheese that’s been whipped with a bit of cream. You can also check into our next blog on peas where we feature these scrumptious beauties in a Snap Pea and Cucumber Salad, just perfect on a hot summer’s day!
First Turn on the Grill
The Culinary Team wants you to know…
… that when it comes to the forgotten method of direct ember cooking with wood, there are many great food varieties besides your typical meats, poultry and seafoods that offer awesome flavor. This blog demonstrates how snow peas are one of many tasty garden variety veggies that will tickle your pallet with a great smoky wood-fired taste. There are many more foods for you to enjoy with this technique! Go ahead, experiment with your favorite vegetables or fruits and treat yourself to a “world of flavor” possibilities!
The ingredients you will need to make the bisque base are:
For serving this creamy soup, I prefer to sprinkle each bowl with some fresh chopped parsley or cilantro. I also slice up some crusty bread like a great French baguette. That’s it! Super easy but flavors that appear as if this bisque took days to make.
