HERBS & TWIGS FOR SMOKING

HAY

Hay provides instant and brief combustion. Slightly green hay has a better flavour and marginally slower burn than the totally dry stuff. This works well for the flash smoking method or smoking seafood or shellfish over coals in a perforated frying pan. Not to be confused with straw, which isn’t much good for smoking.

ROSEMARY

The resin in fresh rosemary can be a little on the bitter side when burnt; branches that have dried for a few days or have been taken from a dying plant are ideal. Rosemary stems ignite slower than hay and thyme, but still pretty fast. The larger branches from bigger bushes burn slower and give a pleasant layer of smoke. I suggest combining with a sweet wood like apple or chestnut for a rounder flavour.

FENNEL STEMS

The stems, or twigs, as I call them, are the best bit of the vegetable. I like fennel, but I find everything above the bulb more interesting. And it’s the scent that I value so highly. I discovered if you pile a few pencil-sized twigs next to a fish on a grill and cover that with a cloche, it gives the fish a decent lick of smoke.

THYME TWIGS

A sweet fragrance with small tinder for quick ignition. Similar to hay in its uses, but also good to use in combination with apple, cherry or oak for a slower burn.

BAY BRANCHES

Give a strong, spicy, aromatic and sweet aroma, much like the flavour bay leaves impart when added to a stock or roasted inside a chicken. Full of complex oils that will produce notes of clove and menthol. Allow to dry for a spell, and use sparingly.