Smoked Tomato Soup with Smoked Gruyere and Cheddar Crackers


 
C

Clark Deutscher

TVWBB All-Star
Crackers

1 C Old Cheddar
1 C Gruyere

Smoke cheese with a mild wood (I use maple....1 good size chunk on lump with two chunks of maple and full water pan, temps about 100 degrees or under, smoke for an hour)

- Grate cheese, mix with 1.5 cups Flour (I used italian 00 which is very low in protein, AP would work just as well), and a couple tablespoons of herbs (I used freeze dried chives)

- Mix with 1 cup of buter
- form into balls and squish on cookie sheet
- Sprinkle sea salt and smoked paprika on top
- Bake at 350 for 15 minutes or so


Smoked Tomato Soup (based loosely on Silver Palate recipe for tomato soup)

- 1/2 cup butter
- 3 onions

Dice onions and sweat on med with butter

- 6 cloves garlic

Add garlic for about a minute

- 2 Liters of homemade chicken stock (or a good store bought)
- 10 smoked roma tomato's (I smoke these at the same time as the cheese. The night before I cut them in half and soak in olive oil. I often add herbs to the marinade but not for the soup. In this case I added 1 C of fresh parmasean. I smoke them for one hour the same as the cheese)

- t Allspice
- Pinch sugar
- T red chili flakes

Put the tomato's with the chicken stock and spices in with the onion and garlic mixture, bring to a boil and simmer for an hour. Take off heat and add:

- 1 bunch dill
- zest of 1 orange
- Salt and pepper

Mix with an immersion blender till a fine puree

Top each bowl with a cracker and serve

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Clark
 
You bet. All I use is my 3 WSM'S!

Basically I take a small coffe can, cut a hole in the bottom (make sure there is no paint on it and that kind of thing). Light one piece of lump (or two briquettes), put a piece or two of wood on top of it (a mild wood for this) and let it smoke. I find it holds for an hour. Much more than that and it's time for another piece of coal. I use a full water pan for it.

Clark
 
Clark...thanks for the quick answer. Follow up question:

Do you let the WSM "come to temp" before you put the cheese in or do you put it on right after the coal and wood are lit?

I ask because I would think with that little coal and a full water pan that it would take the full hour for the WSM to come up to 100 degrees.
 
Hey Elsie, I have done it on the kettle before. It isn't my preferred method but it is possible. When I did it I went the same way (with regards to the number of coals and the amount of wood). I set it up for indirect heat. Added a large heat sink. I used a big heavy pot filled with water and put the top vent on the side with the cheese (opposite of the coal). Let me know if this makes sense. Also let me know if you give it a try!

Chris, I never wait for the WSM to come up for temp when doing anything. HAving said that I do wait for the coal to light and hopefuly the wood as well (before assembly). This doesn't take long, a minute or two at most. I usually end up starting about 75 degrees and finish in the 100 range. This is the perfect time to do it with our weather (we're usually pretty close temp wise to you, not sure if it's cold and rainy there today, it was actually nice when I was in Seattle on the weekend!)

Clark
 
Wow Clark,
Thanks and great timing for this recipe!.
I've got a garden full of ripe tomatoes asking for me to do something besides the normal quarter and oven roast with garlic & herbs in olive oil thing.
One question, do you blanch and peel the Romas first?
If you saw the weather forecast, it's going to be great after tomorrow and that'll be perfect to do this.
 
Sweet deal Bruce! A couple of other things I do with smoked tomatoes are bbq sauces, kethcup, Pizza sauce, and Marinara. I know mostly sauces but they freeze well!

I don't blanch and peel them first. Once I hit them with the immersion blender you can't tell and it is a lot easier. I have never had any off flavors or anything like that.

Emjoy the weather it's pouring rain and cold here. Hopefuly it turns!

Clark
 
Hey Patty nice to see you out here! I haven't used the new smokes yet. Probably will fire them up on the weekend! Thanks again for meeting me out there, I owe you guys!

Clark
 
Clark,

thanks for detailing your methods.

The coffee can method should be good for smoking fish and other things that need a low temp, right?
 
You bet. I do all of my cold smoking (salmon, cheese, tuna, tomatoes, leeks, oysters etc....) this way. I know there is much more intricate methods and everything but this always seems to work for me. It is one of the small coffee cans. Nice and simple!

Clark
 
Clark, what is a "large heat sink"? I can smoke indirect on my performer using the Smokenator. Would I fill the water pan as the "heat sink"? I'm thinking a 28oz. empty canned tomato can would work as well as a coffee can, right? We don't use canned coffee. Also, how long do you smoke the cheese and salmon for?

Thanks again, Elsie
 
Hey Elsie, with regards to a large heat sink I usually take my lodge cast iron dutch oven and fill it with cold water. This sucks up tonnes of the heat and keeps the heat nice and low. I'm sorry but I'm not sure what a smokenator is, I'll google it tonight or it's probably on the site I just haven't come across it. From what your saying though I would say yes fill the water pan as the heat sink.

For the can I don't blame you for not using that type of coffee, I took it from work! But to answer your question yes a tomato can would work just fine.

For timing it is best to just taste as you go and see what you like. I go for an hour or so on cheese. The smoke flavor does change over time, it turns a little sweeter and milder over time. I guess that means that it will depend on your use. For salmon I smoke a lot longer but my wife likes really smokey salmon. Cold smoking obviously. With salmon or tuna we're talking hours (about 4). Again it's all to taste though.....Now to complicate things don't taste to often, lifting the lid will play havoc with your temps. Good luck and have fun! Let me know how it works out!

Clark
 
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