Smoked foods make great presents and they're not just for Christmas, says Sudi Pigott

The one time when smoking is socially, not to mention gastronomically, acceptable is when food has been imparted with the unmistakable flavour of wood fire smoke. Smoking food probably originated in prehistoric times, when a fire was lit under freshly hunted fish or meat to speed up the drying process and ward off flies. The resultant enhanced flavour and improved keeping qualities meant it became customary practice.

During the T’ang dynasty in China AD 618-917 black smoked apricots were an unusual delicacy. The Romans were inordinately fond of smoked cheese, and both the Greeks and Romans were adept at smoking fish. In Medieval Europe smoked herrings were a staple, but it was not until around 1843 that a John Woodger of Northumberland invented a new kind of smoked herring, ‘Newcastle Kipper’, which was split, gutted, lightly salted and smoked overnight. Smoked salmon, meanwhile, is a relatively new arrival on the gastro-scene. It was popularised by Jewish immigrants who set up smokehouses in London’s East End at the end of the nineteenth century.

Almost anything – from quail’s eggs and venison to marlin, scallops and foie gras – can be given the smoke treatment. However it is essential that you start with top quality ingredients, as correct smoking should enhance rather than overwhelm the natural flavour. So if you’re looking for an unusual present, make sure you buy from a reputable smokehouse.

Smoking fish
Opinion among smokers varies as to whether dry-salting or brine-curing is more effective, though a brine is likely to bring greater subtlety of flavour. Historically, most fish smoked in the UK is cold-smoked, which involves exposure to a slow-burning wood fire, while hot-smoking, currently very much in vogue especially for salmon, means the food is smoked at great temperature – above boiling point – and effectively cooked as well as smoked. Generally, hardwoods such as oak, beech or chestnut are best for smoking, while aromatics such as juniper or rosemary are sometimes added for flavour.

Curing and smoking is all about achieving a balance between sugar, salt and smoke. The well-smoked fish should have a gentle, subtle hue with a bright surface, firm texture, rich succulence and a gentle smoky aroma.

The virtues of wild versus farmed salmon are constantly debated. Whilst the best wild smoked salmon, such as Forman’s definitive London cure, is lean yet rich in flavour and slips down an absolute treat with its yielding texture and exceptionally delicate, gamey, buttery flavour, a farmed salmon will smoke poorly, can run unpleasantly to fat and leach oil even after smoking.

Other fish besides salmon can lend themselves perfectly to smoking: Forman’s has recently extended its range to include marlin, shark, tuna, halibut and sturgeon. Minola smokes delicacies such as oysters and scallops, which make for a perfect, fridge stand-by for impressive last-minute entertaining. Hawkshead in the Lake District have pioneered an organic ‘Lake trout’ of impeccable, ultra-fresh, evocative, almost peaty taste. It is available in organic specialist stores, such as Fresh & Wild. My personal preference is the under-rated, yet richly succulent smoked eel, which makes a perfect easy indulgent supper dish or decadent weekend breakfast with scrambled eggs.

Smoked meat
Meats are receiving distinctive smoke treatments too. At Rannoch smokery, Leo Barclay smokes free-range venison from his own estate. After being hung for about a week to develop its mild yet distinctive gaminess, it is tenderised and brined in muscovado sugar, salt and ‘three secret ingredients’ with a mechanised vacuum massager to preserve the meat. It is then cold-smoked with chips of old oak whisky casks bought from a local Scottish cooperage to impart a real depth of flavour. Some of his hand-sliced venison is packed in flavoursome marinades of olive oil, herbs or wild mushrooms. He also hot-smokes whole grouse, pheasant, chicken and duck breasts.

Byrom House, established by BBC Masterchef finalist Rebekah Jones two years ago, is probably the only UK smokehouse producing cold smoked beef which is cured in a tantalising concoction of sea salt, mustard seeds, chilli, coriander, ginger, pepper and bay, and makes a striking starter, sandwich or unusual brunch dish with Byrom smoked eggs.

Society smoking
Chefs are increasingly smoking their own ingredients, too: Michael Gresslin, of the eponymous Hampstead restaurant (Gresslins), serves his own tea-smoked duck breast and tea-smoked tofu in open ravioli with braised Swiss chard; whilst Stephen Whitney of The Crescent, Marble Arch, serves newly modish suckling pig which he smokes over oak chippings before roasting it and serving with calvados and seasonal vegetable purees. Good kitchenware specialist shops now even sell small-scale home smokers for the truly dedicated smoker. Smoked turkey leftovers anyone?

Stockists
Forman’s, tel: 020 8985 0378; www.formans. co.uk
Minola smoked products are available by mailorder 01873 736900 and are stocked at Selfridge’s Food Hall (London and Leeds)
Hawkshead organic trout is available at branches of Fresh & Wild (tel: 020 7229 1063) and good organic delis nationwide
Rannoch Smokery, tel: 01882 632344
Byrom House, tel: 01536 4117361/ www.thesmokehouse.org
Divertimenti, tel: 020 7581 8065 www.divertimenti.co.uk
Gresslin’s, 102 Heath St. Hampstead NW3, tel: 020 7794 8386
The Crescent, Great Cumberland Place, London W1, tel: 020 7802 4288