What is BBQ smoke?
It’s a combination of solid sooty particles, tiny droplets of liquid and chemical vapours (mainly phenols). The latter are invisible but they’re the key flavour elements. When these land on the food they stick to any water or oil, react with proteins to create flavour and permeate the food.
“Smoked salmon, smoked haddock, smoked duck, smoked nuts, smoked garlic, smoked salt, smoked butter — almost anything can be smoked these days.But what exactly happens when you smoke something — is it just about flavour?And how easy is it to do at home?”