Forum Thermomix
Questions Doubts and Requests => Questions? Technical Issues? The Survival Guide => Topic started by: vivacity on October 07, 2009, 10:46:21 am
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We're going fishing soon and DH wants to smoke some of the catch. We're quite new to this fishing game and DH has been looking at some smoking ovens. There are the cheap ones (the table top kind) and the more expensive ones (cupboards for hanging the fish).
While surfing on amazon.co.uk I came across a book by Jocasta Innes called Country Cooking. One of the reviewers mentioned making a smoker out of a biscuit tin. I googled and found that other TV chefs (Jamie O. for one) had demonstrated that the idea works. You basically put in wood chips at the bottom of the paint-free biscuit tin, cover with foil leaving enough space to let the smoke come out, make a rack from wire for the things you want to smoke, place food on rack, cover with lid (with holes I think) and then place the whole caboodle on an electric hob so that the food gets smoked.
That got me thinking....
Can I use the same idea to smoke in the Thermomix. The hob is built-in, the wood chips could go at the bottom of the Thermomix, I could put the food to be smoked in the Varoma, perhaps leave a little gap in the lid to let the smoke come out (while airing the kitchen well ;).
What do you reckon? Would it work, or would I set fire to something???
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You'd be gamer than I vivacity! LOL :P
Although I doubt the TMX would get hot enough to smoke the woodchips... I have heard of doing it in a cast iron dutch oven over the fire (I keep one with my camping gear) though. :)
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There is good reason I'd say to stick with the biscuit tin idea $$$$ ;)
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I know, I know, the TMX is slightly more expensive than the biscuit tin :-)) But a woman can dream, can't she;)?
And the thought of just putting some trout in the Varoma and then removing smoked fish from the Thermomix after a short while was just TOO tempting not to dream about!
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As Ceejay says - doubt it will get hot enough.
You can do it in the oven - just have a tray lined with aluminium foil and put in some sawdust/chips and put the fish on a cake cooling rack on a tray above.
Or the old biscuit tin..
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I think the oven idea is great. In fact, I have seen some smoking bags on sale (stupid price) that you can use for the oven; pop the fish into the bag, stick bag in the oven and smoke. These may be good as an interim solution because we've rented a holiday home and the bags may keep the smoke from escaping to the rest of the house. I'll give your idea a go when we get back but I'll definitely try out the biscuit tin idea on our balcony to see if it works.
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Hope you catch a fish !!!!!!! ;D ;D ;D
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We smoke a fair bit of fish when we're away. We use a large pot, sprinkle about 2 teaspoons of woodshaving/sawdust (must use a commercial mix that is available for smoking). The fish needs to be soaked for 20 minutes in a brine solution, sea water will do. Then place the thin strips of fish on a cake rack/cooler above the smoke mix. Put on the lid. Heat under the pot for about 20 minutes until the fish is done.
We call this 'pot' smoking.
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Thanks, Cookie1 :) What kind of heat source do you use?
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We call this 'pot' smoking.
Dare I say more???
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We call this 'pot' smoking.
Dare I say more???
ROFLMAO ;D ;D
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Or burn some wood chips into ash put in plastick bag and shake the fish in the bag before cooking. Then again you can do what the Yanks do and buy a bottle of smoking powder rub for the fish.
You can buy a smoking thingy for your BBQ as well but then we get into which wood chips? Palm? Cedar? Pine? Maple? Elm? Gum? Oh wait, you can buy paper bark and wrap the fish in that. Or just find a tree and strip it.
Anyone for kedegree? We could do that in the varoma.
Oh lordy I say we are crazy people.
Gretchen
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Anyone for kedegree? We could do that in the varoma.
Good thinking Gretchen http://www.forumthermomix.com/index.php?topic=94.0 (http://www.forumthermomix.com/index.php?topic=94.0)
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Sorry for the slow reply. We put it on a gas flame.
DH was going round the caravan park saying 'we've been pot smoking" and then he wondered why we all got funny looks from HEAPS of people. He calls DD a drug dealer-she's a pharmacist. I'm sure it's only a matter of time before we get asked about all this. He can be very embarrasing at times.
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You are lucky you don't live with me if you worry about being embarrassed ;) :-*
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Poor Mrs T, I feel for her. I've learned over the years, and most of our friends know exactly what he is like. I guess it's one of the reasons I love him, even after 41 years. He calls it 2 life sentences..... :-)) :-)) :-))
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Well, after all the helpful hints on smoking - thanks again ;D - I arrived back from my holiday yesterday. Totally fishless. We had storms, flooding, all the little things that make fishing totally unfun.
After standing on a pier for one and half hours waiting for some sympathetic flounder to nibble the bait with gale force winds belting against us, we decided to give up and walked bedraggled and disappointed back to the car. "Catch anything?", asked some really ancient man. "Only a cold," I said. He talked about how much he'd love to go fishing, his grandchildren really love fishing with him, only the wife is against it. "She has a Thermomix. All she does is play with it. The whole day." I told him there were some really good fish recipes out there for the TMX. Maybe he should buy her the relevant fish cookery books? "Oh, she has all of the books," he said. "She even has a recipe file (last two words were spat out in disgust)."
How many husbands of Thermomix owners are suffering out there?! Maybe Thermomixing is a kind of addiction. But, hey, we can stop whenever we want, can't we?
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LOL oh the poor man OBVIOUSLY doesn't know and appreciate good food when he gets it ;D ;D ;D
Oh and yes I could stop tomorrow...maybe...if there was no power....I think ;) ;) ;)
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Good story vivacity - he could have be talking about any of us ;D ;D ;D It probably does cause some problems within marriages with the amount of time spent cooking or on the forum but I'm sure we all know how to find a happy medium and keep everyone happy. Trouble is, those who like to be fed can't have it both ways - someone has to be in the kitchen producing the food. Sorry to hear you didn't catch any fish - I know very few people who do these days, even those with boats. I'm sure it is just cheaper to go to the fish markets to buy it than all the expenses for boat owners.
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Oh and yes I could stop tomorrow...maybe...if there was no power....I think ;) ;) ;)
:D :D :D :D Spoken like a true addict.
I guess I recognised that because I'm the same - and loving it!! ;D ;D
we were away for the weekend & as it was only overnight I didn't take the TMX. I couldn't believe how lost I felt while I was preparing dinner. :(
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I could give it up tomorrow.
Thank goodness 'tomorrow never comes'.
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Well said cookie1, ;D ;D Sorry to hear about only catching cold Viv. :( :(
... It probably does cause some problems within marriages with the amount of time spent cooking or on the forum but I'm sure we all know how to find a happy medium and keep everyone happy. Trouble is, those who like to be fed can't have it both ways - someone has to be in the kitchen producing the food. ...
....and some complain that all the food the Bimby produces adds inches to the waistline !!!!! Bad Bimby - go and sit in your corner and stop making me happy :)).