From: riburr@shentel.net   
      
   Steve Peek wrote:   
   > "riburr" wrote:   
   >> Have been using a stovetop smoker to smoke small amounts of fish, with   
   >> delicious results. So, I'm thinking about trying some smoked mushrooms   
   >> this coming season.   
   >>   
   >> This is hot smoking, where a fish is generously sprinkled with salt, and   
   >> allowed to sit in the fridge for at least a day.  Olive oil is thinly   
   >> spread over the fish, then the fish is smoked on the stovetop 'til cooked.   
   >>   
   >> With mushrooms, I'm thinking of wetting them, then sprinkling with salt,   
   >> or giving them a quick dip in brine, and allowing the brine to soak in.   
   >> Then, brush them with olive oil, or even bacon fat, and smoking them on   
   >> the stovetop.  Might try the technique with store-bought button mushrooms   
   >> as a test.   
   >>   
   >> Have all kinds of suitable wood for smoking in the yard; ash, cherry,   
   >> maple, hickory, oak (white and red), mulberry, persimmon, birch, etc.  I   
   >> have a little combination hand planar-rasp that can shave slivers of wood   
   >> for use in the smoker.   
   >   
   > Cool idea, I'd also consider using this method as the first part of   
   > preserving, i.e. Give them a little smoke then dry them.   
   >   
   > It's my understanding that any nut or fruit wood can be used to smoke. The   
   > best smoked trout I ever had was done over wild cherry. Supposedly green   
   > wood can cause bitterness. I wish you had the prunings from my apple trees.   
   >   
   I also read green wood can cause bitterness, then their are opinions   
   where green wood is entirely suitable.  My stovetop smoker is not what   
   most people think of as an outdoor smoker using lots of wood.  It uses a   
   couple tablespoons worth of wood shavings, which is heated on high heat   
   'til smoke begins to be liberated.  Then heat is lowered to medium level   
   until the food is cooked.   
      
   I'm going to take fresh, green wood shavings (green wood is easiest to   
   shave with the tool I'm using), then allow it to dry before using for   
   smoke.  The thin shavings should dry very quickly.  Lots of experiments   
   to do with different woods, varying the drying times, and amounts used.   
      
   I've been smoking store-bought salmon.  The Alder wood supplied with the   
   smoker is superb.  We have an Alder in our area, the Hazel Alder, which   
   is a shrub found on stream banks.  Might get motivated to get my trout   
   fishing and National Forest fishing permits.  Can't think of anything   
   more natural than smoking fresh caught trout smoked with Alder wood   
   obtained from the stream bank where the fish was caught.   
      
   Hickory smoke is delicious, but I suspect it can overpower the subtle   
   flavor of the trout.  I'm anxious to try Ash, which you mentioned as   
   being favored by morels.  Seem to have a lot of Ash in the yard, which I   
   never noticed 'til you mentioned it.  (Never find Morels in the yard.)   
      
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