After a bit of mess with the smoking cabinet at Christmas, I'm up and running again. The cupboard itself unexpectedly blew away when it was at its worst the day before Christmas Eve. The door took the worst hit. The smoking cabinet is record-breaking and quite heavy, which is why I was a little surprised when in the early morning I found the cabinet under the bench where it stood safely next to the house wall. However, after an email to Bradley, I quickly received a new door. Thanks!

The great thing about smoking food is that there are so many more uses than you might first think. It is easy as a beginner to only think of salmon sides, brisket or other charcuterie that you often buy ready-smoked. I also smoke salmon. I can love a smoky tender piece of meat with classic BBQ sauce and typical side dishes, but smoking becomes even more fun when you find new dishes that you don't usually associate with smoking. Smoked black root confit is a typical example of such a dish. I've made it before, but then without smoking the black root. This variant, where the carefully smoked black root comes with a whole new dimension of flavors, was a real surprise.

For smoked black root, I serve a mushroom sauce, a mushroom stew and some dried black trumpet mushroom that I ground into a powder. I garnish with oxalis and campanula flowers. (By the way, oxalis or harsic acid is something that is easier to find in the forest than in the grocery store). In front of you is a beautiful plate with a starter that can be made completely vegan in a simple jiffy if you prefer such a diet. When you think about it, there are actually quite a few things that are not suitable for smoking. Smoked black root went really well. You just have to dare to try yourself. Sometimes you succeed better. Fortune favors the bold.

Method:

Rinse and peel the black roots. Divide into equal length rods of approximately 10 cm. After they are peeled, they are immediately put into water so that they do not darken. Then I lightly salt and vacuum pack with about 150 g of butter. Then the black carrots are allowed to bathe in the sous vide at 84 degrees for about an hour. (If you don't have a sous vide, boil water, add the black roots and then simmer for about 10 minutes. They shouldn't be completely soft. Think asparagus!) W

hen the black roots are done, they are dried. I have already started the fume hood. The temperature should be about 65 degrees C and I smoke with mild briquettes. I smoke my black roots for about 45 minutes. The smoke flavor should be elegant. Not more.

While the smoking is going on, I prepare mushroom stew and sauce. Actually, they are cooked at the same time. I just choose to divide the mushrooms and sauce before serving.

Finely chop the onion and cut the Portobello into inch-sized pieces. It's not that careful.

Then fry the Portobello quite hard in butter. It should get a little color. Then lower the heat slightly and add the onion. Let it fry glossy together with the onion. Add the concentrated stock and water. Then let it boil down until about a third of the liquid remains.

Remove from the plate and stir in the whipped cream. Then let simmer and stir between rounds

. When the cream has reduced to the desired consistency, I strain off the mushrooms. Then keep the sauce warm on the lowest heat.

Blend the dried mushroom into a fine powder in a blender. If you don't have a mixer, it works well in a mortar.

Just before serving, I drop small pieces of the Romanesco cabbage into boiling water.

After a minute or so, they are taken out and tossed in a dollop of warmed butter.

I carefully heat the Portobello, drained from the cream, in a pan.

Serve on warm plates with the mushroom stew next to the black root, mushroom powder and Romanesco around, oxalis and campanula on top and the sauce on the side. (Be sure to use heated plates, otherwise the dish will have time to cool before it comes to the table. Assemble the plates with the sauce last).