For big flavor, try a little smoke

It’s grilling season, and this year we want more out of our grill than just burgers and hot dogs.

Of course, Texas is the smoking capital of the world — maybe self-appointed, but it still counts — so we know all about low-and-slow briskets and beef ribs. But did you know you can smoke nearly anything, and you can use your everyday grill to do it?

Smoking is often associated with long, overnight cooking for large cuts of meat. But smoke adds a unique flavor profile to every food, not just rich meats, and you can build big flavor with a little effort.

If you have a charcoal grill, adding smoke to your food is as easy as throwing a handful of wood chips on your hot coals. On a gas grill, there are plenty of gadgets you can buy to hold wood pellets or chips, but a tinfoil pouch poked with holes or an aluminum pan set on the grill grates is just as effective.

A little smoke goes a long way, and just a light stream can make enchilada-perfect shrimp, smoky eggplant that is begging to blended into baba ghanoush, or chicken thighs for the best-ever picnic chicken salad. Cook your foods the way you would without smoke — over medium to high heat until they’re browned and cooked through, or at a lower temperature for foods that benefit from gentle heat, like salmon. Think of the smoke like a marinade. It changes the flavor, but it doesn’t impact how you cook the food.

For a stronger smoke flavor, grilling at lower temperature or over indirect heat gives your food more time on the grill and more time to take on the properties of the wood.

Not all wood is created equal, so you don’t want to throw yard scraps into the grill. Look for commercial-grade wood chips at your grilling supply store, online or even at most big-box home and garden stores.

The most popular woods generally will be allpurpose, such as cherry, maple, apple, hickory and mesquite. Each imparts a unique flavor, and experimentation will help you decide which you like. Some, like hickory and mesquite, are particularly strong and bold; they are most commonly used for grilled meats and traditional barbecue, and may not be ideal for mild ingredients.

Don’t forget to keep the grill hot for dessert.

Lots of fruits, including peaches, cherries and even bananas, are enhanced by a subtle smoke flavor. You can even smoke ingredients like cream or butter to blend into ice cream, smoky chocolate chip cookies or smoked caramel sauce. Place your ingredients in a heat-safe container and keep the temperature low — about 200 degrees Fahrenheit.

If you’re ready to give it a try, this Hot Smoked Salmon recipe is rich, flavorful and perfect for breakfast, lunch or dinner alongside the season’s best asparagus.

Curing and smoking a whole salmon fillet is easy to do at home, according to chef Vincent Carvalho, a lecturing instructor at the Culinary Institute of America, San Antonio.

1 (2-2 1⁄2 pound) salmon fillet, skin on 1 cup kosher salt

1⁄2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest

Instructions: Place the salmon on a baking sheet with the skin side down. Using the backside of a knife, lightly scrape the flesh to remove any scales. Remove any pin bones that run down the center of the fillet. Rub your finger against the grain, from head to tail, to feel for these tiny pin bones. They run about two-thirds of the way down the fish. When you feel them, pull them out using tweezers or fish pliers.

Combine the salt, sugar, garlic powder,

Hot Smoked Salmon

onion powder, pepper and lemon zest. Sprinkle the mixture liberally over the salmon. Use all the mixture, covering the thicker portions of the fish more heavily. Refrigerate for 2 hours.

Rinse the salmon under cool running water and place on a wire rack. Carefully pat the fish dry with paper towels. You will notice that the salmon is now a bright red color and is much firmer. Refrigerate for 12 hours, uncovered, to allow the fish to dry thoroughly. When the salmon is removed from the refrigerator, it should feel dry and tacky to the touch. The salmon must be dry; if it isn’t, the smoke will not stick.

Meanwhile, prepare your gas or charcoal grill. The chamber temperature should be between 180 and 200 degrees with a steady stream of light smoke exiting from the vents. Place a pan of ice in the grill if needed to keep the temperature low and to give the salmon more exposure to the smoke; you can also freeze water in the smoker’s water pan while the salmon is drying.

Place the salmon on the rack. Cook the salmon until the exterior of the flesh is a golden color, the center is still pink but not raw and fleshy, and the thickest part of the flesh has reached an internal temperature of 145 degrees, about 2 hours or less. You can use a thermometer or make a small cut with a paring knife and peek inside the flesh to check for doneness. You do not want to see white pools of juice that have escaped from the fish and coagulated on top; that is a sign that the fish is overcooked.

Remove the salmon from the smoker and allow it to cool slightly. When it has cooled, the surface of the fish should be covered with a dry, reflective glaze; this is called a pellicle and is desirable in smoked fish. Peel off the skin and cut the salmon into equal portions.

Makes 6 servings

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