It has to be admitted that the ill-fated Covid-19 has upset the plans of many and brought a lot of uncertainty. Although Stephane Pover, Smokey Olive Wood founder, we had been coordinating his visit and smoking lessons for a long time, but we waited until the last moment when it was clear that our guest's tickets would not be cancelled.
We were delighted to hear from Stephane that the flight would go ahead, so we rushed to announce the lesson to you. Although it took only a few days, so many of you signed up that we organised another one.
Stephane told us about the unexpected start of the company during the lesson, which was literally inspired by the delicious scents of Spanish olive trees.
During the event, it was interesting to hear about the trees themselves, how they grow, how they are felled, how they dry in the sun, how they are chopped, how they are packed and how they travel to the farthest reaches of the world.
Stephane talked about the different fractions of the wood: the finest, "dust", is for cold smoking, while the coarser ones are for hot smoking. It turns out that the lighter the wood (its smoke), the coarser the fraction can be used for smoking on home-made, relatively small grills. And for owners of larger smokehouses or fire pits, the guest recommended palm-sized pieces of wood, which are both the most economical and the best option due to the extremely slow and long smoking time.
During the meeting, we sniffed the aromas of different woods: lemon, orange, almond, olive, Holm oak and walnut. It turns out that Spain's pride and joy is paella made with lemon or orange wood, while sardines and even fantastic pizzas are made with only olive wood.
And for those who don't smell very well, they could see the difference in the colour and flavour of the wood when smoked. Many were impressed by the taste and appearance of the chicken breast, the cottage cheese, the tomatoes, the salmon and other dishes!
Even those who are more likely to smoke had the opportunity to see the difference between mild and strong wood smoke and the effects of too much strong smoke on food.
Olive wood tables were a hit with many - not only are they incredibly dense, but they are also exceptionally beautiful and sturdy. On them COBB grilled chicken breasts were the most impressive. It's a pleasure to be surprised by the view, the taste and the aroma, when all you need are a few ingredients and the right wood for smoking. We have uploaded the recipe and the cooking process at your request here
We hope that the smoking lessons will not only encourage those taking their first steps into the world of smoking, but also encourage those who are more experienced to expand their horizons, flavours and colours even further.
See you next time for delicious, flavourful and interesting meetings. Have a good smoke!
