Not only does salt enhance the taste of most foods, it is also used to preserve foods, age or brine meats, and for making ice cream. Fleur de sel, Himalayan Sea Salt, Hawaiian Volcanic Sea Salt, Flaked Salt, Kosher Salt, Fine Salt ...is your head spinning yet? There are so many selections with an equal amount of uses and it can be overwhelming to say the least. But it should be noted that with a little imagination and fearless living you could open a whole new door to taste bud nirvana. Salt is an easy way to elevate your cooking, and every decent cook should have several in the kitchen at all times.
Here is another head spinning conundrum, some would argue that it is not flavor that is the greatest contribution salt makes to any given dish, rather it is the texture that it brings.
A coarse, crunchy fleur de sel will add a muscular bite to the flavor of the meat. It is primal and rustic.
Flake salt crackles in your mouth when you eat it, creating the impression of a brittle, crunchy crust on the meat. It’s a little bit more refined a feeling, like remembering campfire eating without actually being outdoors.
Fine grain sea salt, like the Italian fiore di sale, will rest on your steak like snow on a sunny day. It will offer just the slightest zing of saltiness as it dissolves. This is white-linen dining, darlings.
Cooking with culinary salts can take family-favorite recipes to a new level or add a twist to your favorite beverages. Let's take a look at the different types of culinary salts, along with their characteristics and uses.
Finishing Salts
Finishing salts are like the icing on the cake. They bring a new dimension of flavor to the dish which they accompany. Since salt dissolves, finishing salts are added moments before serving so diners can experience the tiny bit of crunch.Finishing salts have great texture and flavor and deserve to be served at the table. Let it touch your tongue to set up the perfect taste experience. When the right salt is paired correctly to a dish, ecstasy happens.
Infused Salts
Infused salts can open up a whole new culinary experience. These delectable seasonings can be infused with spices, herbs, and flavorings such as espresso coffee and even merlot wine. Some incredible infused sea salt selections available are: Aged Balsamic, Espresso Brava, Lemon Twist, Roasted Garlic, Sun Ripened Tomato, Vanilla Bean and Spicy Curry, to name a few.
Dessert Salts
Desserts prominently featuring salt have become nearly as common as panna cotta at high-end restaurants, and almost every confectioner has done his or her own take on the classic French fleur de sel caramel. Calling it a current event or trend is probably a mis-guided designation. Salted Carmel is believed to have been around for more than 400 years. Its really true that everyone loves sweet ,salty, fatty foods. Some decadent flavors used in desserts are : Rose Petal Salt, Green Tea Infused Salt, and Vanilla Salt.
When your ready to expand your palette and move to the next level of culinary exploration an ingredient as pedestrian as salt may be just the ticket you need to go on an extraordinary adventure. So before you grab the old table salt shaker think twice and explore the many options now available for your table.
Wishing You Kitchen Adventures,
MJ
