Smoked Cornish Game Hen/How to Make a Stovetop Smoker

I wanted to do something interesting for dinner instead of just roasting a Cornish Game Hen, so I tried smoking it. It can get a little smokey (especially if you don't have a good vent fan above the stove) but it adds a really great flavor. Next I want to try it with ribs. This method gives you a smokey flavor in a short amount of time, so it's great if you want to smoke something but don't have a big green egg or some sort of serious smoker. This was super juicy inside, but the smokiness can make it seem a little dry, so I'd recommend serving it with a sauce, maybe BBQ.

Serves 2

Ingredients:

1 Cornish Game Hen (1-2 lb)

1/4 cup salt

1/4 cup sugar

salt and pepper

3 tbsp wood chips (I used hickory)

2 bay leaves

spices (your choice - I used thyme and garlic powder)

Smoked Shrimp

My brother-in-law Austen always buys me cook books for Christmas, and I love it! (Keep it up, Austen!) I know I've mentioned Home Made before, but it's full of interesting recipes and methods, one of which is creating smoker out of kitchen staples. Jamie and I had friends over for football on Sunday, and in addition to the usual wings, I tried making smoked shrimp. They were so smoky! It really works. The recipe calls for rosemary salt to go with them, but I'd actually next time serve them with a sort of BBQ-cocktail sauce hybrid. I just bought frozen shrimp and thawed them while I brined them - it worked perfectly. I can't wait to try the homemade smoker with other things. Ribs? Fish?

Ingredients:
1 package frozen shrimp, uncooked