# Liquid Smoke....as a quick fix



## Thrifty Angler (May 5, 2002)

I have a question about it's use.

I have a recipe that I want to try. Thing is, it calls for smoked fish, flaked. 
I don't have any such smoked fish on hand. 
Don't have a way to smoke any either. 
Don't want to buy any additional fish....have plenty of plain fish in the freezer.

Here's the question:
Is it possible to do a quick fix to the plain fish by adding some Liquid Smoke....and have good results in achieving that *smoked fish flavor* required for the recipe? 

If so....what are the steps? 
Add the LS before cooking the plain fish? 
What type cooking method...baking, poaching, frying, saute -ing?
Adding it after the fish is cooked un-enhanced and flaked?

Thanks


----------



## wdbrand (May 24, 2007)

*Thrifty,*

what very few times I've ever used LS has been to sparingly add it to other ingredients as a brine or rub. That is some nasty stuff. Absolutely will not use it anymore, or buy anything that has it in it. Bought a smoker and never regretted it. Only way to go. Lot of ways to smoke something. We used to smoke trout in the fireplace with a low fire by placing them to the side.


----------



## c0ch3s3 (Jul 10, 2009)

i, too, have only used LS, very sparingly, mixed with other ingredients. its real strong so be careful. 

on a different note...
if you have a wok (or something like a wok) and a rack (or something like a rack) that will suspend your fish above a pile of soaked wood chips, on top of a layer of aluminum foil in the bottom of the wok, you can smoke some fish that way. just put the wok on high heat til the chips start smoking, cover, cook!


----------



## Brook (May 27, 2009)

Or do the same thing with a baking pan in the oven. 

Either way, make sure you have a good hood vent that goes to the outside before doing any of this in the house. 

BTW, there was, several years ago, some question about LS being a possible carcinagen. So a word to the wise....


----------



## wdbrand (May 24, 2007)

*brook,*

if you google up "how is LS made", then you can see why it's so strong. Fella gave me 6 55 gallon plastic barrels some years back. Used them for watering. One had LS in it. Everything that lit on it or in it was graveyard dead. Strong stuff. Throwed all mine away. Still smoke but do it the ole timey way and sparingly at that. Most folks don't realize how strong hickory smoke is. You can ruin a good piece of meat or fish in a hurry.


----------



## Brook (May 27, 2009)

I've been smoking fish, game, and domestic birds for more than 30 years, and have yet to ruin a piece of meat or fish. 

I'm curious what your proceedure is that you can do that???

BTW, the amount of smokiness in the food is a function of the kind of brine or dry cure you use and the length of time it's in the smoke. The wood source has little to do with it: with the proviso that you do not use softwoods. But any hardwood, or even corn cobs, works about equally well. 

Woods high in essential oils (among which hickory is not included) can flavor the foods when they're new. Thus, fresh mesquite or alder, for instance, can impart a flavor of its own. But even those, when well cured, impart little flavor other than smoke. 

Smoking is the second oldest form of food preservation. Drying without smoke preceeds it. But smoking is, of course, just a secondary form of drying. It's likely that smoking originally was more a way of keeping insects at bay then a flavoring element. Later on, when salting (either dry or brine) came in as a preservation method, and got combined with smoking, we had the antecedents of what we now consider smoking. 

FWIW: Salting and fermenting run neck and neck as to which is older. Odds are they were discovered about the same time and, in each case, independently at several locations. 

In terms of broad-based application, fermentation is probably the most used form of food preservation, even in modern times.


----------



## drawinout (May 11, 2008)

Nah, you can't come close with liquid smoke. Maybe you can get you one of those little cylinder smokers. I've never used one, but from what I understand they don't do bad. Maybe somebody else will give you some better advice. I tried a recipe with liquid smoke in it one time. Needless to say, I still have a full bottle of liquid smoke.


----------



## Thrifty Angler (May 5, 2002)

Advice taken. I wish I had the option to do the wok/oven smoking technique. Unfortunately not enough ventilation. Apartment living with a non removable electric smoke detector and it has a hair trigger. Taping over the sensor hasn't worked. Have a balcony but it's off bounds to outdoor cooking. Sun tanning excluded.
I'll try the recipe with plain fish. If it doesn't produce acceptable results I'll spring for some of the store bought smoked stuff I've seen. Provided the other recipe ingredients show potential with just needing the smoked fish as the final touch.

Yep...I haven't used the LS in our cupboard in a lonnnnnng while. Probably need the jaws of life to remove the cap. 

Thanks yall. I'll let yall know how the recipe turned out as soon as I dig to the far ends of the freezer to get some fish.


----------



## sprtsracer (Apr 27, 2005)

Different all together. Smoked fish tends to also have less moisture. LS will only add the flavor, somewhat, but the texture, moisture, etc., will be all totally different!


----------



## Bobmac (Oct 11, 2008)

I do my own BBQ sauces and for 6 quarts, I only use a maximum of 3 tablespoons or it's too strong. 
As far as being a carcinogen, what isn't anymore in all reality?


----------

