Smoking that can be good!

Gourmets, chefs and lovers of the great outdoors in Canada and the USA enjoy smoking the day's catch, whether it be game, wildfowl, venison or fish.

In the past, home-smoking food has been a messy and haphazard affair, but the Bradley Smoker is able to bring extra flavour without fuss to hams, bacon, sausages and cheeses as well as tomatoes, garlic and nuts.

The smoker can "hot smoke", meaning it cooks food at the same time, as well as performing traditional cold smoking. It can also be used to dry foods without smoking and as a slow cooking oven. The smoke comes from special hardwood "bisquettes" in a variety of flavours including cherry, apple, hickory and maple.

Recommended retail price is £399 and more information is available from the Bradley Smoker website -- www.bradleysmoker.co.uk -- or by calling 0845 665 0728.

Coincidentally, this week's recipe from celebrity chef Nigel Smith, chef patron at the Feilden's Arms, Mellor Brook, is for smoked duck salad.

You will need a smoking pan and some oak wood chips, but if you want to try the dish out to see if you like it first, visit the Feilden's where it's on the menu.

Ingredients:

1 duck breast

120g mixed salad leaves

leek

Small bunch of flat leaf parsley

METHOD:

Trim the duck of excess fat. Heat a pan on the stove until it is piping hot. Add the wood chips and cover with the lid, add the duck and smoke for five minutes.

Heat a frying pan and sear the duck in its skin. Place in the oven and cook for a further three minutes.

In the meantime pick the leaves and parsley and finely shred the leek. Deep fry at 350C until golden brown. Quickly deep fry the parsley so it keeps its colour.

Once the duck is cooked, leave to cool in the fridge.

To assemble the dish, toss the leaves in a little dressing and place in the middle of the plate. Slice the duck and place on top. Place the leeks on the duck and sprinkle the parsley around.