Smoked and Marinated Recipes - AFTouch-Cuisine
Welcome to the fascinating world of smoked and marinated cuisine, two ancestral culinary techniques that have crossed the centuries to allow us today to create extraordinary flavours. These methods, born from the necessity of preserving food before the refrigeration era, have transformed into veritable gastronomic arts. At AFTouch-Cuisine, we celebrate this richness with passion, offering you recipes that honour these traditions while modernizing them.
Smoking is one of the oldest preservation techniques in the world. From the Vikings who smoked fish for long Scandinavian winters to Native American peoples who used smoke to preserve game, this practice tells a universal story. When you prepare our Herring Fillet, Mashed Potatoes and Red Cabbage, you are taking part in a thousand-year-old tradition while discovering how smoking elevates the raw flavours of fish. Chef Patrick Asfaux has always been convinced that smoking was not merely a matter of technique, but a genuine conversation between the cook and the elements: wood, fire, and time.
Marinating, for its part, offers an entirely different dimension. It is the magic of acids, spices and aromatics that gradually transform proteins and fibres. The ceviche technique, originating from Peru, is its most spectacular example: it is the fresh lemon juice that "cooks" the fish without heat. Our Ceviche of Veracruz Fish will transport you directly to the heart of Latin America, with its vibrant flavours and colourful influences.
What truly fascinates with these two approaches is their versatility. Smoking can elevate a simple fish to make it something memorable, as in our Pan-seared Coastal Hake Steak, but it can also meet the noblest meats. Think of our Grilled Medallions with Mirabelle Plums and Lonzu, where smoked Corsican lonzu brings its complexity to the plate. The smoke dialogues with the acidity of the mirabelles, creating a surprising and delicious harmony.
One member of our community of cooks, Pixelle, shared with us a revealing anecdote about the Bulbous Chervil Salad. Their comment reminds us that even the ingredients we think we know can hold surprises: this sweet and delicate root, more commonly known as tuberous chervil at Rungis market, deserves to be discovered or rediscovered. It is this curiosity, this desire to become well acquainted with our ingredients, that defines a truly culinary approach.
Beyond these emblematic techniques, we invite you to explore how smoking and marinating can enrich your everyday tables. From Abalone Ragout with Vegetables, where the marinade prepares the flavours, to Lobster Presskopf with Foie Gras, where the presentation itself tells a story, each recipe invites discovery.
So do not hesitate to roll up your sleeves, to open your senses to these flavours intensified by time, and to let these ancestral techniques surprise you. It is in this alchemy between tradition and creativity that the true pleasure of cooking resides.
