Smoking now a must-have in restaurants!
But, with a modern twist, smoked foods can be mouthwateringly delicious delicacies. The age-old technique has, in recent years, become a must-have in top restaurants.No one knows this better than Angus McCaig, executive chef at The Holt, in Honiton. With a small library dedicated to the art of smoking, curing and pickling, he is resoundingly enthusiastic about smoked food, and has, over the past three years, perfected the method of smoking his own meat, fish, poultry, oil, cheese and even salt.
While much of his selection is available on the pub restaurant menu, he has recently expanded his range and is now able to sell smoked foods directly to the public.
Angus has his own smoker at the back of the kitchen, and there is much more to the process than chucking on a few bits of duck and pressing the on button. There are many different elements of smoking which can affect the taste, texture and consistency of the food. Angus has perfected this process and developed his own recipes.
"We predominantly use oak, cherry, maple and apple woods for smoking, but you can also use rosemary and gorse, anything provided it is not soft wood, which can create a bitter flavour because of high sap content," he said.
"I came up with the recipes through experimentation and using the culinary knowledge I already have. I took the spices I would use for normal cooking and applied them to smoking.
"For instance, when I think of chicken, I think cardamom and green pepper corns, so I would use those spices in the smoking process and go from there.
"You can make lots of different flavours, and because we grind our own spices and make unique blends, we have many varieties. Ginger, garlic and lemongrass will, for example, bring out a Thai flavour, just as seasonings such as star anise, juniper and thyme will complement certain meats with their aromas. I suppose like a painter finds it easy with a palette to mix colours, it's easy for me to mix flavours."
Having his own smoker, and being able to control every aspect of the process, means that Angus can achieve what commercial smokers are not always able to.
"I can flip the meat and make sure it cooks evenly," he said. "The problem with commercial smokers is that they don't always do that, so the food often ends up deep tan on one side and pale on the other."
And rather than smoking everything in one session, Angus smokes the food for short periods and lets it rest in between sessions.
"When I do cold smoked salmon, for example, I give it two to three hours in the smoker, then let it rest, and then another few hours," he said.
"The slower process means that the moisture is drawn out, it doesn't get too dry, and the flavour is locked in.
"I believe in gently giving delicate flavour to food and balancing the sweet with the savoury."
One day, Angus hopes to build his own smoker to incorporate his own ideas into the design. But at the moment, he is focusing on marketing and selling his product, and hopes to eventually supply farm shops and attend local farmers' markets.
"People can ring us and order smoked goods. It's perfect for a party, or just something different to have for supper," he said.
"I can advise people as to what is the best flavour for the occasion or they will be able to choose from our menu. We are hoping to go online to sell directly to the public in early August."
Angus' scrumptious selection of smoked dishes includes hot and cold smoked duck, hot smoked chicken, hot and cold smoked salmon, cold smoked bacon, smoked olive oils and Cornish sea salt and smoked cheeses, and other types of meat, fish, poultry, and shellfish.
On top of this, he is also trying to reduce the salt content by using alternative types of sugar, such as muscovado, unrefined and palm sugar.
"These sugars are not as sweet and have a certain saltiness to them, which allows me to use less salt, and also create a more rounded sweetness," he said.
Always on the lookout for new ideas, Angus is testing new recipes and planning for the future.
"I'm an experimentalist. I want to try new things," he said. "I am currently experimenting with smoked goats' and soft cheeses.
"I want people to realise how easy smoking is and I would like to bring this kind of cooking back into the house. The magic is making it on your own or with your family and then eating it.
"One day we hope to be able to teach people how to smoke and cure and give customers the products and tools to take home with them."
Before I leave The Holt, Angus presents me with a dish of smoked meats and prawns. I take a piece of duck and place it on a hot, crispy slice of baguette sprinkled with olive oil. One bite is bliss. The subtle yet rich flavour sends my taste buds wild and the tender meat just melts on the tongue. It is a slice of heaven. This stuff is smokin' hot.
The Holt Bar & Restaurant, 178 High Street, Honiton, Devon, EX14 1LA. Telephone: 01404 47707. Summer promotion: half pint or bottle of wine with a bowl of smoked prawns.
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