What have you been smoking?
Did you receive a Breville Smoking Gun for Christmas? If you did then you’re obviously known for experimenting with different flavours in the kitchen or being passionate about new cooking techniques.
There was a lot of smoking on cooking shows throughout 2016, with the smoked chocolate mousse on Masterchef being the most memorable.
It is definitely one of the hottest food trends at the moment and Luke Ashton – a former bartender of the year and co-owner of award-winning bar This Must Be The Place in Darlinghurst, Sydney – tested the Breville Smoking Gun and commented:” …it allows home cooks to season foods and drinks with something more exciting than pantry spices – smoke. It’s a great tool for any home chef interested in pushing their culinary boundaries and experimenting with new flavours.”
Foods that generally work best with the Smoking Gun have a higher fat content, such as meats, nuts, cheese, seafood, butter and sauces – it can even be used to flavour cocktails.
Below are Luke’s top tips for using the Breville Smoking Gun.
Benefits compared to traditional smoking methods
The Breville Smoking Gun is a cold smoker so you can smoke virtually anything – from solids to liquids, and even solid liquids like ice-cream. It allows you to adjust how much smoke you want to apply quickly, efficiently and with very little mess.
Ease of use
The new Smoking Gun has a user-friendly robust design. It sits stably on the benchtop and is comfortable in the hand. It’s a battery operated unit, and once you’ve added woodchips into the removable burn chamber you just ignite with a handheld lighter, select from the two speed controls (gentle or intense) and direct the smoke tube in to the container of food or liquid that you wish to smoke.
You’ll get the best results if you use an enclosed container like a covered bowl or a zip lock bag. When you feel there’s enough smoke in the container take out the tube, seal the container or bag and let the ingredients sit for a few minutes and be infused with the subtle smoky flavour.
Tips and tricks
Less is more. Think of smoke as a seasoning to your food or drinks rather than it being the dominant flavour, you want it to complement the other flavours. It’s also recommended that once you have smoked the dish or drink, taste it to assess the flavour intensity and add more if needed – you can always add more smoke, but can’t take it away.
Breville Smoking Gun
The possibilities are limitless with the Smoking Gun, try adding flavour to fresh fruit or vegetables without cooking or applying heat. In drinks, add smoky flavours to syrups or juices for that extra kick. And for something different, experiment with different combustibles such as teas, dried herbs, spices and even hay.
For more product information visit www.brevillesmokinggun.com and for recipe ideas visit https://www.foodthinkers.com.au/recipes/smoking-gun