As we remember our fallen servicemen and women, thousands of tourists converge upon the Jersey coastline. Our previously vacant boardwalks and streets take on a whole new dimension – packed!

While it’s the same thing from year to year, this year can be different – gastronomically speaking, that is.

Many backyard “cuers such as myself are gradually jumping on the “smoker” bandwagon for their outdoor entertaining. According to Margaret Fraser”s cookbook, Barbecue and Summer Foods, “Smoke cookers cook food with very low heat while surrounding it with moist, steamy smoke. Soaked wood chips on the heat source and seasonings in the water pan combine to impart a distinctive flavor to meat, poultry and seafood.”

The best-barbecued foods are those cooked slowly over a low indirect fire. An authentic barbecue demands patience. Barbecued foods that would normally take an hour to cook will take a minimum of six hours to smoke.

Although using an authentic smoker is preferred, it’s possible to smoke foods without one. Any backyard grill with a tight-fitting lid can be turned into a smoker by adding soaked wood chips and a water pan. Here’s how:

Soak wood chips for at least 30 minutes or chunks for one to two hours. Scatter dampened chips directly onto hot coals and set a foil pan containing water and aromatic liquid or herbs on top of the coals.

And now let’s get smokin’ …

Smoked Chicken

Ingredients:

• 1 whole chicken
• 1-cup sea salt
• ¼ cup packed brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon dried sage
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 3 onions, quartered
• 2 stalks celery, cut in chunks
• 1 lemon, sliced
• ½ cup butter
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• ¼ cup lemon juice
• 2 cups chicken stock
• Cheesecloth

Method:

On the night before you plan on serving the chicken, rinse it with cold water, remove the parts inside the cavity, and pat dry. In a small bowl combine salt, brown sugar, sage and thyme; rub over turkey and inside cavity. Wrap chicken in large plastic bag and refrigerate over night.

Next day, remove the chicken from the bag and rinse with cold running water; dry well. Place onion, celery and lemon slices inside the cavity. Melt butter in saucepan; stir in garlic and lemon juice. Soak the cheesecloth into the melted butter mixture and drape over the chicken. Add chicken stock to the remaining melted butter mixture and heat to just boiling. Pour liquid into foil pan and set over hot coals and soaked wood chips.

Place chicken on rack above foil pan; cover grill and smoke cook for six to eight hours or until leg joint moves easily and meat thermometer inserted into thigh registers 180°. Remove cheesecloth for last hour of cooking.