Wok-smoked chicken

Who doesn’t love smoked meats? They’re all the rage, but they’re expensive to buy and store-bought versions often include unexpected nasties. It’s not that hard to smoke your own meat and vegetables at home, and there’s no need for fancy equipment and hours of your time. The easiest and most satisfying way is to grab your wok, foil and some tea, sugar and rice and get into it. Experiment with different meats and vegetables and vary the smoking mix according to what works best with each meat; just be careful not to add too much tea as this can make it bitter. For chicken you could add star anise and coriander seeds, or for duck, strips of orange peel and a cinnamon stick. Fennel seeds pair well with fish, and cumin seeds with eggplant (aubergine), or try fresh ginger, cloves and Chinese five-spice with pork.

If you want to make sure your fish or meat is really tender, I recommend brining it for an hour prior to smoking. To give an extra whack of deliciousness to chicken, duck and fish, you can also throw them on the barbecue or under the grill, or glaze them with honey and soy sauce after you have smoked them.

MAKES: 6 smoked chicken thighs

INGREDIENTS

6 chicken thighs, with or without bones and skin

50 g (1¾ oz/scant ⅔ cup) tea leaves

50 g (1¾ oz/¼ cup, lightly packed) brown sugar

150 g (5½ oz/¾ cup) uncooked jasmine rice

BRINE

1 litre (35 fl oz/4 cups) water

4 tablespoons fine sea salt

2 tablespoons brown sugar

EQUIPMENT

small saucepan

medium bowl

large wok with lid; if your wok doesn’t have a lid, you can improvise with foil or the lid of a large saucepan

foil

small bowl

round wire cooling rack that fits inside your wok

tongs

WOK-SMOKING METHOD

1.

Make the brine: Heat 250 ml (9 fl oz/1 cup) of the water in a small saucepan. Stir in the salt and sugar until dissolved, then add the remaining water and leave to cool. Place the chicken in a medium bowl and cover with the brine. Leave in the fridge for 1 hour, then drain and pat dry. Place the chicken on a plate, cover and return to the fridge to dry out for a further 1 hour.

2.

Set up your wok: Line your wok with foil, making sure that it overhangs by about 10 cm (4 inches) all the way around. Add your smoking mix: Combine the tea leaves, sugar and rice in a small bowl, then sprinkle over the bottom of your foil-lined wok. (If you placed this mixture directly in the wok, you’d end up with a burnt mess that would ruin it forever.)

3.

Make a drip tray: Using another piece of foil, crimpthe edges to make an improvised round drip tray. Put the foil tray over the smoking mix in the wok, then place the wire rack inside the wok. Start smoking: Put the lid on and heat the wok over high heat until you see wisps of smoke. Lower the heat and open the lid. Quickly put the chicken in and replace the lid.

4.	Seal the wok: If your wok doesn’t have its own lid, crimp the foil edges over to seal the wok.

5.	Cook then leave: Cook over medium heat for about 20 minutes. Turn off the heat and leave for a further 20 minutes to infuse. Transfer to the fridge and leave for a few hours to cool. Slice and then serve!

HOW TO USE

• Smoke duck breasts for 20 minutes and glaze with plum sauce spiked with star anise. Serve in a winter salad with plums, radicchio leaves and chopped hazelnuts.
• For addictively sweet, sticky wings, smoke chicken wings for 20 minutes, brush with a marinade of soy sauce, honey, rice wine vinegar, ginger and garlic, then bake in a moderate oven for 10–15 minutes or until the dressing is nice and sticky.
• Smoke eggplants (aubergines) and a bulb of garlic for 30 minutes; peel and mix with tahini, yoghurt and lemon juice for a delicous take on baba ghanoush.
• Smoke fish such as trout for 15 minutes; serve with creamy scrambled eggs for an amazing breakfast.