Smokinlicious® Wood Recipe Blog

wood fired Seafood Bisque

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?

Bringing you great recipes for all types of food ingredients to grill, ember cook, hot smoke, and cold smoke. We are always ready to give you ideas for specific foods so leave us a comment and subscribe for more great recipes, techniques, tips, and the science behind the flavor, that’s SmokinLicious®.

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Purchase products:

Wood Chunks- Double and Single Filet

Wood Chips- Grande Sapore®

Dr. Smoke-loves the smoky taste of wood fired seafood bisque

We did a smoked whiskey cocktail with a sparkling twist!

SMOKED WHISKEY COCKTAIL FOR THE HEARTY DRINKER

I’m bringing you another smoked cocktail that is deep in flavor and suited for those who like hearty cocktails. For this cocktail, I’ll be adding even a deeper flavor to the whiskey by cold smoking it with a handheld food smoker. A rich syrup is made first and then added to our cocktail that can be served hot or cold. Perfect, either way, to warm you up on cold winter days!

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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.

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OUR CROSTINI WITH SMOKED ASPARAGUS RECIPE IS YUMMY!

Try this crostini with Smoked Asparagus recipe- yummy! Click To Tweet

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!

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By our stove top smoked chives techniques we will be adding a pinch of smokey flavor to these wonderful bright green chives

Fresh chives are in season so why not do something different with this wonderful herb and try your hand a smoking them! One of the easiest methods for controlling the heat and smoke level to a delicate item like herbs is to use a stove top smoker or stove top smoker set up with a cast iron pan. The point of smoking the chives is to add a depth of flavor to any recipe.

INGREDIENTS FOR STOVE TOP SMOKED CHIVES:

• A stove top wood smoker or cast iron pan with an insert pan for the chives and a lid
• SmokinLicious® Minuto® Wood Chips in Size #6 or #8 in your choice of species
• Fresh chives

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SMOKED SIMPLE SYRUP ADDS FLAVOR TO BOURBON COCKTAIL Click To Tweet

We’ve always tried to stress that smoking doesn’t necessarily have to involve the entire item but rather you can simply smoke one component. That’s just what we are doing with our latest smoked cocktail.

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The serving picture of our SPICY BUTTER FOR GRILLED CORN- Try This!

SPICY BUTTER FOR GRILLED CORN

Corn is one of those vegetables that has an extended season to allow you to do all kinds of recipes and techniques. Given that there are times when you frankly don’t have a lot of time to stand over a grill to do whole ears of corn, I’m giving you an easy technique to add smoke flavor using a handheld food smoker. Then, I’ll give you a recipe for a spicy butter to coat the corn in to bring out the best in this seasonal vegetable. I’ll also provide some flavor pairings that work great for other butter topping recipes. Go visit your favorite corn seller and pick up some fresh corn.

Spicy Butter for Grilled Corn- Prep

I’ve purchased 6 ears of corn and have boiled them in water until tender, which is the most traditional way of cooking corn. I allow them to cool enough to handle, then using a sharp knife, I stand the ear of corn on its wide end and cut the kernels from the cob into a disposable foil pan. If you cook the corn and then refrigerate it prior to removing the kernels, know that the kernels will not come off individually but as one long strand. Don’t worry about reducing these strands as when we add the butter topping, it will break down the kernels. Next, I’ll be taking the fresh kernels to the smoke using the Breville-PolyScience The Smoking Gun Pro Smoke Infuser which is a cold smoke application anyone can do!

Spicy Butter for Grilled Corn- Cold Smoke Infusion

If you’re familiar with The Smoking Gun™ note that the version I’m using was a collaboration between Breville and PolyScience, the originator of the concept, and designed specifically for commercial use. It is manufactured from heavier materials and can stand independently while you work the smoke vapor production.

I’ve gathered together my pan of previously cooked corn kernels, the handheld food smoke infuser, SmokinLicious® Minuto® wood chips in size #8, a lighter, a plastic food bag, and a cable tie. After sliding my corn pan into the plastic bag, I place a pinch or two of the wood chips in the unit’s bowl, extend the smoking tube into the plastic bag, Then pinch off the end of the bag around the tube, and lite the chips.

Tasting Notes: You may select any hardwood microchip for the smoking but do note that this infuser produces a lot of smoke vapor. I tend to recommend using light to medium boldness levels of hardwood: Ash, Maple, Cherry.

After placing the corn pan in the plastic bag and lighting the chips with the handheld food infuser, I synch the bag’s end tightly around the tubing. This allows me to trap all the smoke vapor in the bag and surround the corn. Once filled – the bag will expand – I turn off the smoker, remove the tubing, and attach a cable tie to the bag’s end. I prefer to wait until the smoke vapor has dissipated from the bag. That’s when I cut the tie and remove the corn tray from the bag. Time to take this to the kitchen and make a spicy butter for the fresh, smoked corn.

Spicy Butter for Grilled Corn- More Recipes

Adding the spicy butter

Time to share my recipe for a spicy butter that works perfectly with the sweetness of the corn.

First, melt 1-1/2 sticks of butter over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons chili-garlic sauce, 2 tablespoons Chipotle Chili pepper, 2 tablespoons lime or lemon juice, and 1 tablespoon Hoisin sauce. Whisk together, then remove from heat. This will be poured directly over the smoked corn and reheated until warmed through. Serve immediately.

There are so many options for corn that it depends if you want a spicy flavor, sweet, savory, or citrus. In addition to the spicy butter recipe I provided, here are some other flavor combinations that work just as well:

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The Finished Glazed Smoked Turnips are garnished and ready to be served

ROOTING FOR GLAZED SMOKED TURNIPS

It may not be the preferred choice in vegetable but it is one you should get to know as the health benefits noted from turnips are amazing. Known to improve bone health, protect your heart, and be an active cancer fighter, turnips are also known to reduce inflammation and optimize digestion.

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Smoky Mushrooms with Ricotta cheese on toast

SMOKY MUSHROOMS FOR THE ULTIMATE TOAST

Looking for a great smoky appetizer or snack but don’t want to go to the trouble of firing up the charcoal or gas grill? Then think stove top smoker and prepare to bring the best out of mushrooms when they get wood fired for full flavor. I’ll bring you the easy stove top smoker technique that takes less than 30 minutes and then offer up a super easy but full of flavor smoked mushroom toast with kale and ricotta.

Smoky Mushrooms- Stove Top Smoked

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