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Stovetop Smoker Sampler Recipe
January 15, 2006 | by Heidi | Filed under Basic Techniques, Vegan Recipes
My sister got me a stovetop smoker for Christmas. It is stainless steel and so shiny I could use it as a mirror. Smokers are very versatile, are in use in many restaurant kitchens, and are affordable - this one was around forty dollars. The downside? For starters, a smoker this size takes up as much space as a roasting pan, it has the footprint of a baking sheet and is a few inches deep. There are also the people who say stovetop smokers are inherently flawed - but we'll talk more about that later. Not easily discouraged, I unboxed the smoker and broke it in this afternoon...
The obvious thing to do with a smoker is to smoke meats. Salmon is always a popular choice, and this model is big enough to smoke a chicken. As a vegetarian, I have to get a bit more creative. I made a list of all foods I want to try to smoke in the coming months: giant beans, cheese (I've got Haloumi in the refrigerator), nuts, breads, chiles, winter squash, and I have an idea for a mildly smoked, pan-baked french toast w/ maple syrup. If you've got other ideas for me, please hook me up in the comments.
Here's how it works: The smoker looks like a large stainless steel baking pan with a drip guard in the bottom, and food grate above that. You put your food on the grate and to close the smoker by sliding the lid along the outside rims to create a seal.
The design issue: Apparently, most (all?) outdoor smokers have a vent that keeps the air circulating - I wouldn't know because I've never used one. If your indoor smoker had a vent, you could expect a visit from the Fire Department. Critics say that because there is no circulation with the indoor stovetop smoker, the smoke stagnates, and gives a bitter, harsh taste to your food. The good news is that you can use the stovetop smoker on any heat source - grill, campfire, etc. So, even if you were getting some harsh, unwanted flavor on the stovetop in your house or apartment - you have a back up plan. Put it over any outdoor fire, crack the lid a bit, and you've got that air circulation. Take it camping, etc.
This first time out, I chose to smoke a few things: small potato wedges, king oyster mushrooms, and extra-firm tofu triangles. I wanted to see how long I needed to leave things to smoke, and how long to leave things in it to cook. You have to strike the balance of cooking time vs. smoking time. Tricky, tricky. The inside of the smoker hits about 350 degrees, so you take that into consideration when you guestimate your smoking time. Tricky, because with the smoke, there's no peeking allowed.
I wondered if the smoker would actually create a seal? Or would smoke seep out and smack the entire house with the scent of the great outdoors? I fired up the heat, put a tablespoon of Alder chips in the pan, lined up the mushrooms, tofu, and potatoes in neat and tidy rows, and I was in business. The smoke? Just a few little whispers flowed out of the front and back of the smoker -nothing that a flip of the oven fan couldn't easily take care of. So, re: the design concern up above - in a sense we were getting a bit of circulation, not much, but enough to be a bitter flavor buster. Everything that came out of the smoker was fragrant with a nice, mild, depth of flavor that was perfect for my tastes.
Choosing the type of wood chip was a bit of a challenge for me. My smoker came with four little containers full of wood flakes - cherry, alder, oak, and hickory. It looks like the sort of stuff a mouse would make a nest of. If that wasn't a broad enough palette I can order apple, apple, mesquite, pecan, or corn cobb from the manufacturer, or source my own. Here are the manufacturer's descriptions on how to pick and pair woodchips with the type of food you are preparing - just a sampling to give you an idea of how they differ. I picked the Alder, shooting for delicate smoky overtones.
ALDER: Famous in the Pacific Northwest for smoking salmon, this mild wood is the chef's smoke of choice when looking to create a delicate smoky flavor. Excellent with all seafood and vegetables.
CHERRY: Creates a smoke that is rich and smooth. It's a killer with cornish game hens, duck breast, and for smoking vegetables.
HICKORY: We're talking serious BBQ. Ribs, brisket, anything where a BBQ sauce is to be used, works well with this robust wood.
WHITE OAK: Widely used in commercial smoking, oak is wonderful with sausages and blended with cherry for smoking turkey.
There is going to be a budding relationship between me and my smoker and it's going to take some time to get to know each other, but today got us off to a good start. I smoked everything for 20 minutes, and then finished it all off in a hot skillet for a bit of color. You get a bit of a steaming effect in there, particularly if the ingredients you are using have a high moisture content. If this looks like too much smoker for you, there is also a mini-version available - about half the size.
How I used my Stovetop Smoker
5 King Oyster Mushrooms, brush off any dirt and cut in half
A few new potatoes, washed and cut into small wedges
Extra-firm organic tofu, drained, pressed with a paper towel, and cut into 1/2-inch thick triangles
A few tablespoons of olive oilFine grained sea salt
Toss the mushrooms, and potatoes with a bit of the olive oil and place on the rack inside the smoker. Next toss the tofu with some olive oil as well. Place in the smoker and sprinkle everything generously with the salt.
Close up the smoker and follow the manufacturers instructions. I smoked these items for 20 minutes over a medium gas burner. After 20 minutes remove the smoker from heat, let it cool a couple minutes, then take it outside and open it.
Heat a large skillet with a tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat. Your vegetables and tofu are probably well cooked at this point but not really looking their best. Now it's time to give them some color and crust. Toss them in the pan, use a spatula to stir or flip so the oil gets on all surfaces. Now stop stirring and let everything sit there for a minute or two. Peek underneath the tofu, mushrooms, potatoes, and as things are getting golden brown, turn them to brown the rest of the sides. As items are finishing, remove them from the pan.
Salt to taste. Also make notes for your future reference. I noticed the mushrooms really took in the smoke, then the tofu, and least of all the potatoes. Next time I might give the potatoes an extra ten minutes in the smoker if I want a more pronounced smoky flavor. Also make notes to keep track of the difference between the different chips.
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Your Comments
kate said:Awesome! I've been wanting one of these forever. You don't have to use wood chips, either - it's possible to herb-smoke vegetables and small fish using thyme, rosemary, etc. Have fun with it! - Kate.
Heidi, I like the photos in this entry. They are a little bit of a departure for you, and the colors are just as perfect as ever. Good job.
Hi Heidi,
Keep us posted with regard to your experiments with the smoker. I've wanted one on and off, but I have no idea how much use I'd get out of it and I don't know anyone who has one ... I'm interested to see what you come up with!
Hi Heidi,
I wish I could play with this new cooking appliance. You are lucky and I hope you will keep us posted about what you make. I am curious to see what your next project is with it.
Heidi,
I haven't tried the stovetop smokers but have improvised on my BBQ with outstanding results. It requires a bit of babysitting but I've had great luck with mushrooms (I made smoked mushroom mousse for a Thanksgiving appetizer this year), pork chops and turkey (I was veg for about 10 years but recently fell off the wagon!). We are too cheap to invest in a real smoker, but as long as you keep your BBQ's tepmerature between 250-300 everything slow cooks and takes on a rich, smokey flavor. I had best luck with Hickory (wich I beleive is the southern way of saying Pecan) for the mushrooms and turkey and used mesquite for the pork chops.
Also, smoked mushrooms freeze well and lend great flavor to chilli; my fav is the "spicy two bean chilli" on epicurious.com. Smoke on!
What if you smoked tomotoe slices and added them to a sauce or put them on pita (or other flat bread) with some cheese? Smoky flavors and Italian cooking seem to blend well.
(PS: This is Merci, Justin Hall's girlfriend, if you don't remember me. I subscribe to your site; it's awesome.)
I bought some oak-smoked garlic at the farmers' market the other day, and have been sneaking it in various recipes since. (Well, it's hard to sneak smoked garlic anywhere, isn't it?!)
Back in the day, we owned a Cajun Cooker which is a smoker. We gave it up when we gave up turkey, and my husband still misses the thrill. Maybe I'll get him one of these little smokers and a brace of garlic....
Shroom said:Those mushrooms look delicious, and potatoes too! I feel like getting my own just to try it out, my primary diet is potatoes and mushrooms
I thought I was Justin Hall's girlfriend?
said:Can I buy the smoker by mail order? I live oversseas.
Abriza.
ha3rvey said:I'll echo what Merci said. Smoked tomatoes rock my socks. I had to give up my smoker when we moved to an apartment last year. >sigh
I should get one of these...
Welcome to the wonderful world of smoking! I can't wait to see what you'll discover. In the meantime, you simply must try tomatoes!
Aside from just being good on their own, they also translate into smoked salsas, smoked sauces, etc.
Have fun!
What about smoking fruit: peaches, pears, apples, cherries? I had a smoked peach cobbler at a restaurant once last summer, and it was divine. I guess they smoked the peaches before adding them to the cobbler?
The blog Ideas in Food has listed smoked blueberries as an ingredient a couple of times. That might be a fun blog to simply search for the word smoked on!
The Millenium cookbook, the Artful Vegan has a smoking primer in the back with a smoking time guide for various foods. This book is viewable through a search on the infamous print.google.
looks like lots of fun (Mmm smoked cherries...)!
350 degrees is pretty hot for some things.
Can you smoke cheese in it without it melting? can you cold smoke with it?
they do a tea smoked salmon at a place where i work--
what about tea smoked tofu?
and hot damn those are beautiful mushrooms!
Right up my street this one. I'll look forward to hearing about the results of your experiments.
Vegetables are something that we don't really do. We do smoke olives though. Certainly worth trying.
Try smoking salt! I read about doing this some time back and have yet to try it with our standard smoker. It sounds awesome though. As I recall you place the salt on aluminum foil. (duh) I want to do this as a home made gift some Christmas. Doesn't it sound wonderful?
This sounds like a very intersting piece of equipment, I look forward to hearing more about your adventures
According to Alton Brown ("Good Eats" on the Food Network), the kind of wood you use to smoke with doesn't matter unless you smoke for over six hours. The exceptions would be corn cobs, herbs, etc. I've generally found this to be true...
Oh, you're right, salt is a gimme!
You could smoke your own paprika too. And eggs... this is a fun game, now I want to buy a smoker (where are those google ads? You could be getting some sweet commissions ).
I beat you to the Ideas in Food punch- they are so phenomenal... are you ready? Here's only the tip of the iceberg on what they've smoked:
- grapes, peanuts, vinegar, maple syrup, toast, zucchini, sesame seeds, corn, cola (hmmm), cashews, apples, soy sauce, cacoa nibs...
Duncan Elkins said:Cooks Illustrated recently developed a technique for oven smoking spare ribs using tea (Lapsang Souchong was their choice, for its smokiness). They improvised a setup not unlike the popular Cameron's stovetop smoker.
I have one of these and use it for salmon, mostly. It's definitely "hot smoking," and more effective with flavor than it is in drying out the fish. (When I have to do a lot, I use a brinkman's charcoal/water smoker.) I usually rub the fish with a salt/sugar cure to remove the moisture before smoking by either method. I usually use a few woody sprigs of rosemary and a bunch of dried thyme on the charcoal smoker- I'll have to try that in the stovetop, too, as Kate suggests.
I hickory smoked a pumpkin for Halloween. Best pumpkin ever! Will be the new holiday tradition.
So, you've started smoking... that's cool.
In all semi-seriousness, people without sisters can make their own smokers though with aluminium foil, a wok and a bamboo steamer. One of my favourite recipes is tea-smoked salmon. Granted, I have never tried smoking something to preserve it this way, but I smoke-cook this way all the time and it's a cinch. 20 minutes - and you're done.
Heidi, sounds like great fun! I have been using the smoker chips available at BBQ Galore for several years, and the quality has been consistently good. Avoid the 'big box' retailers and any place were the stock appears to move slowly, as the chips lose potency with age. Also, friends who do woodworking may mean well with donations, but knowledgeable carpenter friends of mine have advised against using any chips not specifically sold as 'food grade'. Best of luck!
Heidi, this entry contains a recipe for 'tea' smoking. I'm a caveman and just use an old wok, a heq of a lot of alu-foil and a bamboo steamer. It's a 'closed-system' ; P but a bit of smokes leaks out and give the house a really nice smell.
It's true that you can make things bitter, but only if you 'blast' the heat. I start mine off (granted, it's a homemade one, maybe a different beast) with a blast and then turn down the gas to almost nothing and let it go slowly. Well 20 minutes slowly.
The link contains useful info on how to make the smoker, and... Kelley is right, you can't use just any sort of wood shaving, but... you can use tea.
I like Earl Grey and of course Lapsang Souchong.
The absolute best part about using the homemade method with a bamboo steamer, is that the steamer is now imbued with smoke, and everything that touches it will also start to taste like smoke. When you steam broccoli over dashi or water, the brock will now have a lightly tea-smoked aroma! That's smoking wIthout the actual smoking, I think a really healthy alternative.
What a ecxiting such a "smoker sampler"! I want to try with Japanese groceries for ex.tofu, fish-cake .it would be fun! (^0^)//
I love my smoker. However, it's supposed to be bad for you so I use it only on special days... My favorite:
Acorn Squash, halved (remove seeds and reserve for a tasty snack later) Poke holes all over in each half using the tines of a fork.
In each half place
1 Tbsp Butter or Olive Oil
2 Tbsp Brown Sugar
1 Tbsp Honey
1/4 tsp Sea Salt
Freshly grated nutmeg
Smoke for 50 minutes.
I can't believe the number of comments on this post! Brava, Heidi. You touched a nerve.
We got one of those stovetop smokers a year ago (the mini) and haven't used it yet, so I really appreciate hearing your trials and travails. Emeril had such a bad time with his he slammed the company on the air, and then heard from them and had to try it again - publicly. (He had used it wrong.)
So, it sounds doable! yay. I'm looking forward to smoking some oysters. And salt (Jayne!). And paprika (McAuliflower!). What a fabulous idea is fruit (Jennifer!). I have to tease KathyF: only a brace? :D
Boil pasta then smoke it - adds a surprising touch to any pasta dish. (See pg 112 in Cameron Cookbook) You can use an oven probe thermometer for accurate temperature control if needed. Smoked vegetables make a great addition to pizza. Smoked Mozarella is yummy, but be careful not to melt it.
Would love some additional recipes for my new smoker using pork, brisket, turkey etc.
I have to second (or possibly third) the smoked tofu recommendation. There's a guy in town here that turns tofu into something like smoked queso fresco ('cept it still doesn't melt). it really opens up a whole new world of tofu possibilities (a sentence I'm sure I never expected to find myself saying)...
I have the DeMeyere smoker from Williams Sonoma - awesome salmon and chicken breasts. Now I want to try a turkey breat, but I have NO idea how long it might take, per pound. The google-based recipes are for a whole turkey, and an outdoor smoker. The salmon and the chicken (did I say they were awesome?) cooked much quicker than outdoors (20 minutes) which makes me wonder...thanks in advance!
Sooze
All comments very helpful--especially Heidi! I got the big Stovetop Smoker and mini one. I've got fair results but need to work with it. I'm noticing that for some things it takes longer than suggested in accompanying instructions. I'm glad I found website!! I needed helpful suggestions in order to experience that outside smoked cooking flavor inside with the stovetop. Thanks all. If anyone else has some helpful comments, I'd appreciate hearing from you.
Mike Furir Mike 14
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