Amuse Bouche

Smoked Spicy Paprika Salt

I'd like to introduce you to my latest little fetish.  Sadly it is little, a mere 1.2 ounces in fact, but boy does it pack a glorious punch.

I was standing in line at John Dewar's last week waiting for my order when I spied a basket on the counter filled with these tiny little jars.  I picked one up and read the label, instantly intrigued because I adore smoked pimenton, smoked duck, smoked ANYTHING really, I smelled the jar. 

I could smell gorgeous smoke and spice through the glass jar.  I opened it up and just then Harry came round the corner with my bangers and caught me sniffing the jar like an addict sniffs a glue bottle.

My goodness this stuff smelled good!

I've used it since in a vinaigrette with white truffle oil and champagne vinegar on smoked duck breast with fresh figs and Valbresso.
I sprinkled it on my fried egg this morning.
On a garden radish with butter
Tonight it will be sprinkled on my Butter beans with olive oil and onion.
I am addicted.

The salt comes from Didi Davis Foods in Ipswich, MA.  I had not heard of them until last week, but rest assured I am sure you will hearing more from them soon with yummy things like Vanilla salt(!), Orange ginger sugar and Coffee sugar.  Imagine the possibilities.

Dry Spice Rub

This is a recipe I make in big batches and keep sealed in a glass mason jar. We sprinkle it on pork tenderloin glazed with melted hot pepper jelly, vidalia onion and fig jam and butter and then grill it. We mix it into butter to make a compound butter and then smear that under the skin of a spatchcocked chicken and grill it.
We also use it as a dry rub for ribs. I usually make a half recipe so it doesn't go stale, I give you the full recipe so you can decide. This is adapted from Emeril Lagasse's 'Real and Rustic'. I cannot stress how much fresh spices are important in this recipe. I can highly recommend all of the spices at Penzey's. They are my favourite mail order spice company and I get my Spanish smoked paprika from Zingerman's. You will find a lot of uses for this mix. Don't make me say BAM!

8 TBS paprika (I use half hot and half sweet, sometimes I replace one or twoTBS with Spanish smoked hot or sweet)
3 TBS cayenne
5 TBS freshly ground black pepper (easiest way is to put fresh peppercorns into a spice grinder or old coffee grinder that you have cleaned by whizzing up rice or bread)
6 TBS garlic powder
3 TBS onion powder
6 TBS salt (this measure is for Kosher, which is larger, if you use iodized, use less)
2 and 1/2 TBS dried Oregano
2 and 1/2 TBS dried Thyme

Mix well in a big bowl or place in mason jar and shake well.