January 26, 2007

Smokers Welcome: Try This at Home

Smoking at home, on the stovetop? A lot of people are doing it to great effect, based on this New York Times article.

"WINTER does strange things to grill lovers cooped up in city kitchens. They start daydreaming about smoldering hardwood.

Chefs around town seem to have that same impulse. Lately they have been smoking everything in reach — onions, tomatoes, chicken, fish, maple syrup. Some invest in professional indoor smokers, but the majority do what a home cook can easily do, rig a roasting pan with aluminum foil or use inexpensive gear like Camerons stovetop smokers.

After a 20-minute smoke and then a flash in a hot pan, chicken thighs taste like they are straight off the grill, but smokier, juicier and — depending on how you get your smoke — more interesting.

And the technique fills kitchens not with smoke, but with a cozy aroma, like potpourri, with Pavlovian effects."

Includes recipes for:

Tea-Smoked Chicken Thighs With Pomegranate Glaze

Smoked Catfish Salad

North Carolina-Style Pulled Pork

Full article here.