Though we have a cabinet-style smoker at the restaurant, you can do the same thing at home with a domed barbecue grill or smoker. Get your chips going, then fill the drip pan with ice. Lay the veggies out on the grill, close the cover, and let it smoke. The smaller vegetables like mushrooms need less time. Check them periodically and take them off when they look and smell ready.
Ingredients
Here’s What We Do
Button mushrooms, whole, about 10 minutes (Experiment with other kinds—we tried chanterelles and didn’t like them, but creminis and portobellos would be great)
Onions, cut in half (or whole, if they’re small), 20–30 minutes
Tomatoes, whole, about 15 minutes
Other Suggestions
Ears of corn (shucked or unshucked)
Red or yellow bell peppers
Preparation
Use these vegetables to enhance vinaigrettes, sauces, salsas, and stuffings. Add the smoked onions anywhere you might use bacon or smoked ham.
From Crescent City Cooking by Susan Spicer Copyright (c) 2007 by Susan Spicer Published by Knopf.
Susan Spicer was born in Key West, Florida, and lived in Holland until the age of seven, when her family moved to New Orleans. She has lived there ever since, and is the owner of two restaurants, Bayona and Herbsaint. This is her first cookbook.
Paula Disbrowe was the former Cowgirl Chef at Hart & Hind Fitness Ranch in Rio Frio, Texas. Prior to that, she spent ten years working as a food and travel writer. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, Food & Wine, and Saveur, among other major publications.
