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Smokey Potato Flavor

Q:

Can you give me any hints on coming up with some recipes for Idaho® potatoes that will impart a smoky flavor?

A:

Happy to do this, although I admit that for my personal tastes, a little smoke goes a long way.

Back in the day, chefs used to just add a product called Liquid Smoke to achieve a smoked flavor profile to just about everything. When I owned a fresh pasta restaurant, the chef used one of those Lil’ Smokey units and would put flavored wood chips inside to smoke lots of different items. My favorite was the subtle smoked shrimp, which was lightly smoked, then chilled and added to a sauté pan with a trio of scallions, garlic and green onions, olive oil and then cream (until reduced) along with vegetable flavors (red peppers, mushrooms, black or Kalamata Olives). This mixture was then tossed with pasta.

But I digress. Here are some recipes to try, you’ll notice that a couple don’t require smoking the potatoes but add a smoked paprika for the smokiness.