Perfecting the cold smoke – Find these at the farmers market and grocery stores this month:

Chef William Wells, owner of Culinary Productions catering company, has been serving his Cajun Smoked Salmon since 1988, honing his technique each time. He uses fresh Atlantic salmon, receiving it in whole sides from a trusted seafood vendor. Wells cures them whole for 18 to 36 hours in his Culinary Productions Voodoo Blend, a mix of sweet and hot spices. Then, the salmon is cold-smoked for three to six hours over Southern pecan wood.

The cold smoking involves using the fan of a convection oven and an ice bath to keep the temperature between 70 and 90 degrees despite generating heat and smoke from a fire.

The salmon is often sliced paper-thin and served with traditional condiments of chopped eggs, diced Bermuda onion and capers with an herbed cream cheese spread and flatbreads. It’s also versatile enough for canapés or Wells’ sought-after Smoked Salmon Cornets (pictured above).

Wells’ smoked salmon and other dishes have been a big hit at previous Fęte Rouge events, and he’s providing passed appetizers at this year’s awards dinner. For more on Fęte Rouge, turn to page 58. culinaryproductions-br.com