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Smoked Prawns with Mango Salsa Back in early times food, particularly meat, was smoked to preserve it. Smoking killed bacteria and sealed the outside surface of food so that air could not penetrate and cause the fat to turn rancid. Smoking is used in many parts of the world and historians surmise that, when our ancestors lit a fire under fish or meat that was being dried, they would have discovered the smoke contributed to the flavour and helped the food last longer. There are two methods of smoking – hot smoking and cold smoking. In hot smoking, the food effectively cooks as it smokes, and this method is used for flavouring rather than preserving.
During a visit to Whitby in Yorkshire we discovered a little smokehouse away on the side of a terraced hill across the bay. We mentioned it to the owner of our bed and breakfast accommodation. “That was your breakfast,” she said. Sure enough next morning we were treated to some very choice local oak-smoked kippers. Fortunately she gave us a swift demonstration on how to remove the bones or we might have been operating on the fish all morning. Part of the smoking technique involves the choice of the right wood. This varies from country to country but hardwoods are best as softer resinous wood such as pine can give food a bitter taste. Don’t used treated wood. These days smoke is used more as a condiment or flavouring and the barbecue season is an ideal time to get started. For today’s recipe I used a small smokebox designed to be used on a barbecue. These retail for about $15 and work quite successfully on a gas barbecue. Barbecue outlets usually sell the necessary woodchips. I used some small pieces of driftwood I gathered during a beach walk. The woodchips should be soaked in water for about 30 minutes. As I was smoking prawns and wanted to thread them on skewers for easier handling, I soaked some bamboo skewers at the same time. I used uncooked frozen prawns that had already been topped, tailed and peeled. Smoked Prawns with Mango Salsa
Defrost the prawns and place in a bowl. Cover with water and add a teaspoon of salt. Soak for about 30 minutes then drain and thread on bamboo skewers which have also been soaked in water. Meanwhile prepare the smokebox. Fill it with the pre-soaked woodchips and place on the lid. Remove the grill from the barbecue and set the smokebox inside, straddling two of the burners (or it can be placed on one burner, depending on the layout of your barbecue). Replace the grill and light the barbecue and allow it to heat up for about 15-20 minutes. After several minutes the woodchips will start smoking. Turn back the heat to its lowest setting and place the skewers on the lightly oiled grill, above the smokebox. Cook for about five minutes then turn the skewers to cook the other side of the prawns. Continue until the prawns turn pink and are cooked. Don’t overcook. Serve with mango salsa. Mango Salsa1 ripe mango Peel the mango, remove the flesh and chop roughly. Mix with the other ingredients and place in a serving bowl and set aside until required.
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With cold smoking, the temperature of the smokehouse is kept low and
the food is pickled in a preservative (salt) then exposed to a low temperature
for a long period, giving it a longer shelf life.
250g prawn meat (about 36 peeled prawns)| ©2000-2011 Pat Churchill