This year’s ever-so-fishy, three day Dartmouth Food Festival featured the exclusively smoked products menu; an amazing selection of starters and main course smoked delights demonstrated by Browns Hotel proprietor and chef, James Brown, all prepared on his Bradley Smoker. I took the opportunity to catch up with him a few days after his debut to talk about his menu, which, for the record, included an aromatic, malt whisky, cold smoked salmon; a starter selection of sweet cured, hot smoked fish; a platter of hot smoked meats; a delicate dish of Asian influenced, cold smoked steamed squid; carpaccio of cold smoked, local saddle of venison, New York style smoked, steamed and fried chicken wings; cold smoked breast and confit leg of pheasant or partridge cooked as seasonal main course dishes; and the staggeringly delicious, sweet cured, cold smoked, local fillet of beef, or venison saddle, cooked to fittingly rare perfection and served with winter vegetables and horseradish mousse.  

As if that weren’t impressive enough he described it as the passing of his ‘A level in smoking’ as he has been in the curing/smoking game for only a year! Though already a consummate smoker, he still feels he has much to learn. James fires up his Bradley once a fortnight to batch smoke fish or meat. He cures, dries and smokes, vacuum packs and freezes, so that he can maintain a constant presence of his house specialities - both smoked meats, and fish, platters. In addition, smoked Loch Duart salmon and smoked fillet of beef have been carefully developed as signature dishes for his restaurant menu. Every Friday evening, Browns Hotel bar offers free tapas to its clientele, a cunning way to gain valuable customer feedback, whilst undoubtedly pleasing the locals. Be sure to take up the offer if you’re passing.

James was kind enough to talk with me for close on two hours. We share the inclination to find that magical cure and smoke combination that produces a subtle result; a note of flavour that enhances the product without overwhelming it. His take on it is that a salty product will also be perceived as being overly smoky to the palate and in response he predominantly uses sweet cures with a ratio of 60:40 sugar to salt; he employs well chosen aromatics in the brining process, together with Maldon sea salt and light brown to dark, flavoursome, unrefined sugar. He also prefers to rest his product for at least a day after smoking, again to aid the mellowing of flavours. This attention to detail (dark molasses sugar, star anise, ginger, thyme and bay flavouring the brine for fillet of beef) and the impeccable quality of his meat and fish are characteristic of his style. Interestingly he never hot smokes at temperatures higher than 72°C, preferring slow gentle cooking to achieve that succulent, but safe, piece of smoked chicken. One of the many inspirational nuggets of information I took from our meeting.

I have much to mull over, and will endeavour to apply some of what I have learned for my December recipe - it will surely have to be marinated, cold smoked side of salmon for Christmas Eve? In the meantime, those lucky enough to be in Devon, or heading this way should be sure to look up the very hospitable Clare and James at Browns Hotel in Dartmouth, and sample one of those delicious dishes.

Browns Hotel, 27-29 Victoria Road, Dartmouth, TQ6 9RT   t: 01803 832572 www.brownshoteldartmouth.co.uk

To contact Sandra please email newsletter@bradleysmoker.co.uk