There are two ways of doing it: hot or cold. Hot smoking is a cooking process whereas cold smoking was traditionally used to preserve food by killing bacteria. In a world of refrigeration, we have the luxury of cold smoking simply for flavour. Take a product such as salt, smoke it and you get double the flavour whack: all the tangy freshness of the Cornish sea plus the mellow sweetness of smoke. Bingo.
For Cornish Sea Salt it was something we wanted to put a lot of research into to ensure we got the perfect smoked flavour. Eight months of creativity, consultation and construction alongside a barbecue specialist, Ty McKend, and a bespoke smoker was ready to go.
A lot of that time was spent testing and adjusting the air intake to get the right balance of flavour: too much smoke and the taste becomes bitter and acidic, too little and it’ll be too flat. “The mix of cherry and apple wood chips with oak gives a slight sweetness to the product, it’s a great way to add depth and richness to stews and soups,” explained Philip Tanswell (Managing Director, Cornish Sea Salt).
American style barbecuing and smoking are experiencing a huge boom in the UK. If you haven’t got time to make your own smoker, then our Cornish Smoked Sea Salt is the quickest way to add a pinch of summer nostalgia and a whole punch of flavour into your winter cooking.
Smoked salt not only intensifies the flavours of savoury foods but can add an unexpected twist to desserts such as ice cream or brownies. Check out our recipe section for more ideas, in particular our pork belly with smoked sea salt crackling or homemade hummus with smoked paprika and salt. Dare we say it: they’re smokin’!
