Smoked paprika question

Smoked paprika is a wonderful spice, but is it possible to smoke your own? Has anyone done it? I've grown paprika, so it would be interesting to try.

[Jenise]

Mmm...I've smoked red bell peppers, but for fresh purposes (to flavor/color a pasta, say). I've never done it for the end purpose of drying them and turning them into a pepper, if that's what you're getting at.

Wow, can't say I've ever had anybody outside of a chef ask that question.

Fortunately, I have had a chef answer it!

Yes, you can make your own. Question is, with what's available out there, why would you? Seriously.

You'd have to select the peppers carefully, as different peppers provide different flavors, and different peppers provide different heat levels.

You'd have to slow roast at low heat, with the intent of drying out the peppers rather than cooking them. Electric is best as it is best controlled. But you'd have to put them over a smoker at some point too, of course, to get the smoked flavor you're looking for.

Might be advisable to use a food dehydrator to get the last of the moisture out; but you might not want to use that, so you'd have to figure out some other way to make sure the peppers are dry and dessicated before prep.

Oh, almost forgot: people who do this often use the direct heat on the pepper early on so they get the blackened/blister effect, since that adds a distinct flavor and character to the finished grind.

Or you could drive around and find some ristras that are already dried and smoked.

The original way the powder was made was with a mortar and pestle, so there's some grinding ahead of you...unless you want to use a commercial spice grinder. One of the problems with that, though, is that as soon as you grind the resulting powder starts losing its intensity. So either produce in very small amounts, or figure you're going to have to get a good sealing system.

I buy mine in very small containers. It's from Spain. But Cynthia Wenslow turned me on to a brand she uses (from New Mexico or Texas, I forget) so ping her. It's slightly on the hotter side (Yaniger swoons over it),but that would probably be okay for you.

So, yeah, you can make the stuff. I wouldn't go to all the bother.

Wow, can't say I've ever had anybody outside of a chef ask that question.

Fortunately, I have had a chef answer it!

Yes, you can make your own. Question is, with what's available out there, why would you? Seriously.

You'd have to select the peppers carefully, as different peppers provide different flavors, and different peppers provide different heat levels.

You'd have to slow roast at low heat, with the intent of drying out the peppers rather than cooking them. Electric is best as it is best controlled. But you'd have to put them over a smoker at some point too, of course, to get the smoked flavor you're looking for.

Might be advisable to use a food dehydrator to get the last of the moisture out; but you might not want to use that, so you'd have to figure out some other way to make sure the peppers are dry and dessicated before prep.

Oh, almost forgot: people who do this often use the direct heat on the pepper early on so they get the blackened/blister effect, since that adds a distinct flavor and character to the finished grind.

Or you could drive around and find some ristras that are already dried and smoked.

The original way the powder was made was with a mortar and pestle, so there's some grinding ahead of you...unless you want to use a commercial spice grinder. One of the problems with that, though, is that as soon as you grind the resulting powder starts losing its intensity. So either produce in very small amounts, or figure you're going to have to get a good sealing system.

I buy mine in very small containers. It's from Spain. But Cynthia Wenslow turned me on to a brand she uses (from New Mexico or Texas, I forget) so ping her. It's slightly on the hotter side (Yaniger swoons over it),but that would probably be okay for you.

So, yeah, you can make the stuff. I wouldn't go to all the bother.

It was a hypothetical question. What I really had in mind was smoking commercially ground paprika, not starting from scratch.

Am I allowed to say, "Just buy it from Penzey's!"

That's no fun. I can buy smoked paprika here in Albuquerque but that circumvents my intellectual and culinary curiosity. I have a couple of smokers, so when I can get to it, I'll smoke a bowl of paprika. Wonder what kind of wood would be best....

Well, with supreme control in hand... perhaps you choose the wood based upon the dishes you plan to use the spice in?

FWIW, if I buy smoked paprika from Penzey's, I have no control over the wood used. I'll research what kind of wood is typically used.

The jar says "traditional oak fires".

Great. I picked up an oak log at a friend's house to use for general smoking.

I had this treat in Wurzburg, Germany under the name Camembert Angemacht but it is also called Obazda or Gerupfter.

From Food from Bavaria website:

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Spreadable cheese preparation. Colour: light, shading to reddish according to the amount of paprika used. Flavour: mild to spicy, depending on the amount of onions.
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Obazda is at home in every beer garden. It is eaten spread on bread or with a pretzel.
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Bavaria. In Franconia Obazda is known as Gerupfter. It is also sometimes described as the Franconian brother of Obazdn.--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
There is no guarantee, but it is possible that Obazde has been served as long as beer has been known in the Weihenstephan monastery north of Munich. It became well known in the 1920s when it was served by the licensee Kathi Eisenreich to her guests in the Weihenstephaner Bräustüberl. She did not know what to do with a too large order of small Camembert rounds, but then the cook had the idea of mixing them with spices and some onions and then finishing the mix off with some beer.
Camembert, double cream cheese, butter, salt, pepper, caraway, paprika, finely chopped onions and a few dessertspoonfuls of beer. Sometimes the caraway and the beer are left out. In Franconia the beer can be replaced with wine from the area.
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Camembert und cream cheese are mashed with the fork and mixed. Then butter and other ingredients are added. Finally the beer is poured over the whole and everything once again well mixed.
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Obazda is a permanent part of Bavarian cuisine and is home made in many homes and hostelries.

One housewife suggests spreading it on cucumber slices instead of bread. In Wurzburg we dipped pretzels in the cheese mixture. It can also be spread on salami disks. Good on German brown bread.

A variation is found on cooksrecipes.com:

A simple make-ahead appetizer that looks like it took hours to make. Serve with crackers, breadsticks, pumpernickel bread and grapes or pears.


California Walnut Camembert

4-ounces Camembert cheese, softened
4-ounces cream cheese, softened
1 cup California Walnut pieces, divided use
1 tablespoon butter
Paprika

Chop cheeses into small pieces. In small bowl, mash together with a fork or spoon until combined.
Finely chop half of the walnuts; stir into cheese mixture.
Shape into a round and chill several hours or overnight.
Before serving: in small skillet over medium heat, melt butter; add remaining walnuts. Cook, stirring until golden brown; drain on paper towelling. Press walnuts around sides and top of cheese round. Dust with paprika.
Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Recipe (and photograph) provided courtesy California Walnuts.


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This is very interesting as it's clearly a close relation of Liptauer (german name of "liptói" (a hungarian cheese spread made with Ewe's milk cheese from the town of Liptó. There's a variation from Trieste made with Mascarpone and Gorgonzola., too.

http://pagesperso-orange.fr/souvigne/recipes/start370.htm