The WIAC History Project
Founding Members Share Their Stories
collected and edited by Cynthia Albers
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Deon Matzen
Island Arts Council's first fundraiser (31 December 1979)
Excerpted from "The Smokehouse On Whidbey"
by Deon Matzen
At one time (in the mid 70s) I had quite a few 4 x 6” tongue-and-groove planks left from building my house. The longest of these were three feet. I had a stack of them. Well, being a frugal person not willing to waste any part of construction materials, I decided to build a smokehouse with them.
Growing up, my dad had smoked many a meal on both outdoor grills and on the indoor grills built into our homes. The one I built was quite a while ago and my smokehouse is now in dire need of repair. The shingle roof has decayed and is falling in, but the tongue-and-groove boards are still intact.
One of my first projects was to smoke turkeys for an Island Arts Council fundraiser called Hogmanay, a winter festival celebrated in Scotland. Normally, the featured dish would be haggis; the stomach of pigs filled with an oatmeal/sausage-like material. Since this would probably not be popular with the folks of Whidbey Island, we decided on such dishes as galantine of sausage as enough pheasants were not available, meat pasties, and roasted smoked turkeys, along with other appropriate dishes, few of which celebrated vegetables as they were not popular at the Hogmanay Festival or in Scotland in general.
So here I had a brand new smokehouse. A very large stack of green alder saplings cut from a nearby clearcut, and time to smoke the turkeys over the next five days. Winter is the best time to do this as the outdoor temperatures are conducive to keeping the meats cool enough not to spoil.
You must be advised that even after five days of smoking, the meat was still raw and uncooked. This required sending the sixteen turkeys I smoked to different houses the day of the event to be cooked to the proper internal temperature.
I am absolutely amazed that we pulled it off. All but one of the turkeys were absolutely elegant and perfectly prepared. Fifteen were heavily smoked and unctuous, and one was cooked in an early version of the microwave. This one looked as though it had been electrocuted. Tough and totally useless as food fare. There was a turkey for each table.
This event was held in a very old wooden building that was probably a fire hazard to begin with (now known as Freeland Hall). We set each table for sixteen, with white butcher paper layered in evergreen boughs down the center of each, and placed dozens of red candles there as well. Fruits such as apples, oranges, and figs, were laid out and the platters of pork pies, pasties, galantine, and the roasted smoked turkey were placed in the center of each. There were flagons of wine and large trenchers of bread for plates. It was all very medieval in atmosphere. We had lute players with Elizabethan music and jugglers entertaining. People were encouraged to come in period costume.
The grand finale was dessert. We had sixteen servers, one for each table. I had steamed sixteen figgy puddings. These were placed on platters. Each server had a platter with a pudding on it. Whiskey was poured over each by one of the kitchen help and then the next kitchen person in the production line set it on fire and all sixteen servers set out to serve the guests.
Well, one tipped the platter and the kitchen floor was alight. Flames licked the floor. Luckily the flames from alcohol are easily extinguished and not very hot in nature. It was quickly put out. Onwards and upwards!
I must admit that the procession was quite spectacular as they paraded around the outer aisles of the hall before setting the flaming puddings on the tables. Everyone oohed and awed.
I am still surprised that we didn’t burn the place down.
The whole project netted the Island Arts Council $600, which was a lot for the mid-70s. I had to take a month off to rest up and it was spoken of for several years. Now this event is long forgotten, but it gave a good boost to what today is the Whidbey Island Arts Council and the Whidbey Island Center for the Arts, which was originally sponsored by the Arts Council.
The smokehouse? For many years it was used to smoke bacon, ham, sausages and more. Now we have a more convenient and modern piece of equipment that does not require my running out every half hour for five days to toss on more alder saplings! I am getting too old for that.
---
The Smokehouse on Whidbey was shared by Deon in January 2023 and edited by Cynthia Albers.
Excerpted from "The Smokehouse On Whidbey"
by Deon Matzen
At one time (in the mid 70s) I had quite a few 4 x 6” tongue-and-groove planks left from building my house. The longest of these were three feet. I had a stack of them. Well, being a frugal person not willing to waste any part of construction materials, I decided to build a smokehouse with them.
Growing up, my dad had smoked many a meal on both outdoor grills and on the indoor grills built into our homes. The one I built was quite a while ago and my smokehouse is now in dire need of repair. The shingle roof has decayed and is falling in, but the tongue-and-groove boards are still intact.
One of my first projects was to smoke turkeys for an Island Arts Council fundraiser called Hogmanay, a winter festival celebrated in Scotland. Normally, the featured dish would be haggis; the stomach of pigs filled with an oatmeal/sausage-like material. Since this would probably not be popular with the folks of Whidbey Island, we decided on such dishes as galantine of sausage as enough pheasants were not available, meat pasties, and roasted smoked turkeys, along with other appropriate dishes, few of which celebrated vegetables as they were not popular at the Hogmanay Festival or in Scotland in general.
So here I had a brand new smokehouse. A very large stack of green alder saplings cut from a nearby clearcut, and time to smoke the turkeys over the next five days. Winter is the best time to do this as the outdoor temperatures are conducive to keeping the meats cool enough not to spoil.
You must be advised that even after five days of smoking, the meat was still raw and uncooked. This required sending the sixteen turkeys I smoked to different houses the day of the event to be cooked to the proper internal temperature.
I am absolutely amazed that we pulled it off. All but one of the turkeys were absolutely elegant and perfectly prepared. Fifteen were heavily smoked and unctuous, and one was cooked in an early version of the microwave. This one looked as though it had been electrocuted. Tough and totally useless as food fare. There was a turkey for each table.
This event was held in a very old wooden building that was probably a fire hazard to begin with (now known as Freeland Hall). We set each table for sixteen, with white butcher paper layered in evergreen boughs down the center of each, and placed dozens of red candles there as well. Fruits such as apples, oranges, and figs, were laid out and the platters of pork pies, pasties, galantine, and the roasted smoked turkey were placed in the center of each. There were flagons of wine and large trenchers of bread for plates. It was all very medieval in atmosphere. We had lute players with Elizabethan music and jugglers entertaining. People were encouraged to come in period costume.
The grand finale was dessert. We had sixteen servers, one for each table. I had steamed sixteen figgy puddings. These were placed on platters. Each server had a platter with a pudding on it. Whiskey was poured over each by one of the kitchen help and then the next kitchen person in the production line set it on fire and all sixteen servers set out to serve the guests.
Well, one tipped the platter and the kitchen floor was alight. Flames licked the floor. Luckily the flames from alcohol are easily extinguished and not very hot in nature. It was quickly put out. Onwards and upwards!
I must admit that the procession was quite spectacular as they paraded around the outer aisles of the hall before setting the flaming puddings on the tables. Everyone oohed and awed.
I am still surprised that we didn’t burn the place down.
The whole project netted the Island Arts Council $600, which was a lot for the mid-70s. I had to take a month off to rest up and it was spoken of for several years. Now this event is long forgotten, but it gave a good boost to what today is the Whidbey Island Arts Council and the Whidbey Island Center for the Arts, which was originally sponsored by the Arts Council.
The smokehouse? For many years it was used to smoke bacon, ham, sausages and more. Now we have a more convenient and modern piece of equipment that does not require my running out every half hour for five days to toss on more alder saplings! I am getting too old for that.
---
The Smokehouse on Whidbey was shared by Deon in January 2023 and edited by Cynthia Albers.
