Smoked fish is a multi-step, multi-day process, but it’s not difficult to do. All you do is brine the filet (like you would a turkey, but for shorter), let it dry in the refrigerator, then bake it at a low temperature with some smoldering wood chips. After you’ve smoked the fish, enjoy it any way you like, or go on to make my creamy Smoked Fish Dip.
This recipe is meant to accompany the Lemon-Curd Pound Cake recipe, but would be delicious for a variety of uses.
We prefer the flavor of butter made with pasteurized cream as opposed to ultrapasteurized cream. The ideal temperature range for churning butter is 55 to 60 degrees; colder and the fat is too firm and will stick to the sides of the food processor bowl; warmer and the fat is liquid instead of solid, leading to greasy butter. In step 2, chill the cream in the refrigerator or over an ice bath. For the most complex tangy flavor, we recommend aging the cream for a week. At that point the cream may smell quite pungent, but most of what you smell resides in the liquid that gets separated out, leaving the butter surprisingly mellow. This recipe requires cheesecloth.
You might be surprised to know that pimento is a vegetable, not a cheese. The pimento is a heart-shaped pepper that made its way to a young United States via Spanish explorers. The largest commercial producer and retailer of pimentos in the United States, Moody Dunbar, was started in East Tennessee by a schoolteacher seeking to supplement his income during the Great Depression. Southerners have always loved this ubiquitous and versatile spread, embracing it as “the pâté of the South.” We add the smokiness of bacon and the satisfying crunch and sweetness of pecans.
The French seem able to turn just about anything into a delectable spread, and this is the easiest one I know. Smoked salmon could be used instead of the trout, as could minced cooked shrimp or other shellfish. Serve this spread with toasts or crackers, or add a small spoonful to Belgian endive leaves as a special appetizer.
I first tasted potted shrimp years ago at a cocktail party in New Orleans, where it was served on saltine crackers with a big belt of bourbon on the rocks. What could be wrong? Southerners know how to start a party.