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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The single seeded berry, fleshy fruit we know as avocado is loaded with healthy fats, 4 grams of protein, and 975 milligrams of potassium which is nearly twice as much as a banana. With 18 of the amino acids recommend in daily consumption, you’ll want to include avocado in your diet.
We thought we would take this fruit favorite and add a flavor level for your avocado recipes by wood-firing the avocado. This simple step will bring all the nutritional benefits of the fruit with a bold new taste.
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.
Whether you’re preparing ham for a holiday like Easter, Christmas or New Year, for a formal brunch or even for a family special event like a reunion, Christening, or engagement party, you can take this average protein and make it so much more. Even if the ham you purchase has already been smoked, you can take away the factory flavor and truly make it your own with our simple technique for smoking on a gas grill using a two-zone cooking method. Plus, I’ll give you a ham glaze recipe that will make you forever throw away a prepackaged glaze.
Get your gas grill ready, purchase a ham, and bring your game as I give you the easy steps to smoking a ham on the gas grill with wood chunks.
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.
Dry Rubbed Chicken Drumsticks after being “kissed” with smoke from the smoker box with Double filet wood chunks!
SALT-FREE DRY RUBBED CHICKEN DRUMSTICKS
You’ve likely heard about limiting your ingestion of chicken skin which can add unnecessary calories and saturated fat. On the flip-side, chicken skin also adds to the overall flavor and moisture of chicken. Here’s the thing: if you limit the amount of chicken skin you ingest, it contains a good amount of unsaturated fat that can be heart healthy, which you may not be benefiting from.
With four select ingredients readily available throughout the year, you can make this flavorful and healthy salad anytime of the year. Perfect on its own for lunch or as a side dish to beef, pork, poultry, and fish, you’ll find your own variations to keep it unique.
You’ve heard me mention before how great it is to ember or coal fire certain foods, with a good majority of those items falling in the fruit category. One of the best fruits to use this technique with is eggplant.
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.
