Tag Archives: Dip

Bradley, Seafood

Smoked Snapper Dip

Ingredients for Dip:

  • 8 ounces Smoked Snapper (see below) or other smoked fish
  • 8 ounces Cream Cheese, at room temperature
  • 1 Tblsp Dark Rum
  • 1 Tblsp finely chopped Scallion greens
  • 1 tsp freshly grated Lemon zest
  • ¼ tsp Ground Allspice
  • Coarse Salt (sea or kosher) and freshly ground black pepper

For the smoked snapper:

  • 1 ½ Pounds fresh Snapper or other fish fillets
  • For the Brine:
    • ¼ cup Brown Sugar
    • ¼ cup coarse Salt (sea or kosher)
    • 1 Tblsp cracked Black Peppercorns
    • 3 Allspice Berries
    • 3 Cloves
    • 1 Cinnamon stick
    • 2 Quarts water
    • ½ cup Dark Rum
    • Bradley Flavour Bisquettes – Apple

Directions

  1. Run your fingers over the fish fillets, feeling for bones. Pull out any you find with kitchen tweezers. Trim off any dark portions from the skin side of the fillets using a sharp knife. (This is where the “fishy” flavour resides).
  2. Place the brown sugar, salt, peppercorns, cloves, allspice, cinnamon, and water in a large deep bowl and whisk until the sugar and salt are dissolved. Add the fish, cover with plastic wrap, and brine in the refrigerator for 8 hours, turning several times.
  3. Drain the fish in a colander and discard the brine. Rinse well under cold running water, drain, and blot dry with paper towels. Arrange the fish on one of the Bradley wire racks (oil it first) and place on a rimmed baking sheet. Let the snapper air-dry in the refrigerator until the surface feels tacky (1 hour).
  4. Set up the Bradley Smoker and preheat to 121°C (250°F). using Apple Flavour Bisquettes. Smoke the snapper on its wire rack until bronzed with smoke and cooked through, 30 to 45 minutes. To test for doneness, press it with your finger; the flesh should break into clean flakes.
  5. Transfer the snapper on its rack to a rimmed baking sheet to cool to room temperature, then wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until serving. It will keep for at least 3 days in the refrigerator.
  6. Flake the smoked snapper into a food processor, discarding any skin or bones. Coarsely or finely chopped (your choice) by running the food processor in short bursts. Add the cream cheese, rum, scallions, lemon zest, allspice, and salt and pepper to taste; pulse to blend. This dip should be highly seasoned.
  7. Transfer the dip to a serving bowl. Serve with grilled bread or your favourite crackers. Serves 6 to 8 as a starter.

Recipe Compliments of Steven Raichlen and Bradley Smoker

Bradley, Herbs, Tomatoes, Vegetables

Bradley Smoked Red Pepper, Tomato & Chilli Dip

At last we have sunshine and warmth, and what better way to kick off the BBQ than some delicious dips? For vibrant colour and flavour this one is difficult to beat…

For a more intense flavour, grill the peppers and chilli prior to smoking – this means grilling to black, if you don’t grill as harshly as this the skins will not come off. Also, if you fail to cover completely in plastic, the skins, again, will not come off. This much I know from bitter experience and I have explained the method at length below.

Whilst the vegetables are smoking, you can also smoke some sea salt to season this and for later use – keep in a separate, labelled, jar.

 Ingredients 

  • 3 large Red Peppers
  • 4 large ripe Tomatoes
  • 1 Red Chilli
  • 3 tbsp Olive Oil
  • 1 clove Garlic, peeled & crushed
  • juice of ½ Lemon
  • 1 tbsp chopped Parsley
  • Salt, Pepper

Directions

  1. Start the Bradley Smoker with just 2-3 Oak Bisquettes in the stack.
  2. Meanwhile, preheat the grill to hot. Place the peppers and chilli on a roasting tray and grill until the skin blackens, turning occasionally until the entire surface is blackened and the peppers are collapsing. Transfer immediately to a plastic bag, loosely fasten and leave until cool enough to handle. Now remove the skin (it will come away easily) and then split the soft flesh to remove seeds and core, discard. After similarly removing the skin from the chilli you may wish to leave the seeds, or at least some of them, for a good heat to the dish. Place the flesh of the chilli and peppers in a shallow bowl.
  3. Make a small incision through the skin of the tomatoes at the top, and bottom. Place in a bowl and scald with boiling water. After 3 minutes, drain the tomatoes and peel away the skin, which will by now be loosened. Cut each in half and push out the seeds with your thumbs, discard. Add the tomato halves to the red peppers and chilli, drizzle with some of the olive oil and transfer to a shelf in the Bradley Smoker. Smoke for up to an hour (I smoked mine for 30 minutes, but then I like a subtle smokiness to mine).
  4. Place the smoked pepper, tomatoes and chilli into a small food processor and add the garlic, together with the lemon juice, salt, pepper and the remaining olive oil. Process to a thick paste then add chopped parsley and check the seasoning, adjust if necessary. The dip should be allowed to mellow for a few hours before serving with hot pitta breads and other mezze dishes.