Salt

pink Hawaiian alaea salt and grey Celtic mineral salt flakes, my two salts of choice

One of the things I am most annoyed by is under-salted food, especially when that food is presented in a restaurant that charges a pretty penny for its food. There is nothing that ruins a dish more than lack of salt and nothing that improves it more that adding just enough salt to make the flavors pop.

Last week I had dinner with friends in a restaurant that I'd been dying to try because every time I passed by it was packed with diners. Well, I should have read the Yelp reviews first because while most people praised the atmosphere (inviting) and the drinks (delicious), people were uniformly dissatisfied with the food. It wasn't that the food was bad, it just was so under-salted that nothing about the dishes sparkled.  Equally annoying were the lack of salt and pepper shakers on the table which I find utterly pretentious. When the waiter asked how our dinner was, I let him know that the food was lacking salt and he said he would tell the chef. He returned to our table a few minutes later to let us know that the chef said, "That's how we cook the food here." Well if that's the case, then I certainly won't be back. I never ever salt my food at the table (in fact, we don't keep a salt shaker on our own table), but I found myself adding sprinkle after sprinkle of salt to just about every dish. (BTW, Whole Foods deli is also guilty of not salting their prepared items enough. The food always looks good, but tastes horrible. Blech.)

There is no more important ingredient in my cooking arsenal than salt, and as for so many lessons she taught me about cooking, I need to thank my mother for teaching me about the importance of salt and how different salts have different flavors. Yes, flavors.

I grew up with my mom using Hawaiian salt (rock sea salt) for just about all her cooking. We had a salt grinder which she filled and we used that when we needed finer salt. She also used fleur de sel long before it every got to be trendy and now ubiquitously found topping caramels and cupcakes. In her cupboard now you can find at least 10 different salts including roasted and smoked salts. Each has a different purpose. Two salts she never used even to this day: regular table salt (Morton's) or kosher salt. Both salts were too tangy and bitter, especially in the case of kosher salt. Taste them and you'll see. Compared to sea salts there is definitely an off flavor with both. At least to me.

When I cook I have two salts that I turn to most often: pink Hawaiian salt (which is pink because of a naturally-occuring clay) and Celtic grey salt. I honestly think these salts have a "saltier" flavor so you end up using less. I love the finer fleur de sel also, but the Celtic salt is cheaper and just as good. Plus, I just love the way it feels when I crumble it over salads or into sauces. (P.S. Don't use wet salts in a salt grinder, you will ruin it.)

I use coarse Hawaiian salt in all kinds of ways: to season all steaks, roasts, chicken, and fish. It also seasons my soups, stews, roasted veggies, and my pasta cooking water. I use the finer salt in salads or to sprinkle on fresh cut oranges or watermelon. (A trick I learned from my Italian aunt: Always salt a salad first THEN add vinegar and toss to melt the salt THEN add the olive oil. Try it!)  For baking or in oatmeal I use the third salt in my arsenal: very fine sea salt (Himalayan, for example). The last salt I use is truffle salt. Oh how I love it.  This is one salt I will bring to the table. My girls sprinkle it over softly scrambled eggs, over their steak, roasted vegetable or baked potatoes. It packs such an earthy, flavorful punch.

Compared to European sea salts, Hawaiian salt is much cheaper, especially if you get it in Hawaii. And since you always know someone going to Hawaii, ask them to toss a bag of it into their suitcase for you. In Hawaii it's available at every market and even at Long's. Hawaiian salts are also great for scrubs: make a paste with olive oil and scrub your body with it. Heavenly!

So there you have it. That's my rant on salt. Don't be afraid to salt your food!

Two great resources: Salt Works (for all your salt needs), and Salt (a fascinating read).

Comments

[Asianmommy]

Thanks for the helpful info. I honestly have never used any kind of salt other than Morton's or Kosher. :)

[Mary]

I am obsessed with salt! I have about 8 different kinds of salt here at college with me, and they totally do have different flavors. I never ever use Morton's or kosher salt either...they just taste really bitter. My personal salt fave is Maldon sea salt. You should try it some time! The salt crystals are shaped like flaky pyramids :-)

[Stefania/CityMama]

Mary, That is awesome. A person after my own salty heart! I have been curious about Maldon salt since that is the preference of my one of my home-cooking idols, Nigella Lawson. Will definitely track it down!

[amanda]

See I have to salt everything at the table because my hubs is super sensitive to over salting (it's virtually his ONLY complaint about my cooking), but you have me thinking I'm just using the wrong kinds. I only ever use the two salts you never use!

Thanks for this! I'll be venturing out on my next trip to the store.

[porter]

A bit off topic but still a 'salt' issue...do you like salted butter or unsalted for cooking?

[Stefania/CityMama]

Hi Porter,

I use unsalted butter. I just prefer the creamier flavor.

[Lisa Kohara]

I'm gonna stuff my suitcase full of Hawaiian salt soon enough! We're going next month, and I can't wait!

Thanks for the reviews, as always!

[Amelia Sprout]

Salt is one of my next things to tackle learning how to use, so this helps a lot. It is hard though when you have family who has heart issues and lives in a salt restricted world. For them eating out is hard for totally different reasons. Not to mention, food is completely miserable.

[Irene]

I agree with you about salt. Hawaiian rock salt is one of my kitchen staples and I never allow the salt to reach the dinner table.

[Shelley]

Do you use fleur de sel for all your baked goods- cookies, cakes, muffins, etc?

[Lisa]

Great post. I keep red Hawaiian sea salt next to my stove, too. It's my go-to salt, and I bring it back in bags every summer. But, like you, I have on hand 9 other salts, besides kosher, that I use for various other things, to use as the spirit moves me, or my kids, depending on flavor, texture mood, etc. Coarse, fine, herbed, fleur de sel, black, grey, sel gris, etc. etc. Salt is essential, Pepper, not so much!

[CharmingBitch]

This has been (one of the many) downfalls to my cooking - I never, ever remember to salt ANYTHING when cooking, not even mashed taters!! I don't 'miss' it, I think, because I use hot sauce/tobasco on almost everything when I sit down to eat.

Thanks for the reminder to be not afraid of the salt!!

[Leticia- Tech Savvy Mama]

OMG! I am in Kauai right now and getting a bag of red salt is on my list of things to do tomorrow before we come home on Tuesday. What a timely post!!! Need a bag???

[beyond]

interesting post. i think there's an enormous difference between table salt (way too agressive and bitter, i never use it) and kosher. i use kosher for pasta water, as i am on a budget. i also use sea salt a lot and then i have some fancy salts to sprinkle over food (fleur de sel for example). i was surprised to read you use hawaiian sea salt to cook pasta in, is it really so cheap when you buy it in hawaii?

[Jessica]

Great salt ideas! (Can’t believe I’m talking about this but it’s been a “thing” of mine for a while.) I find that if you like the taste of salt (which I do very much) then you should reduce the amount you cook with and salt your food at the table it also enhances the food but I found adding it while cooking I tend to over do it.

Great Post! I stumbled upon your blog while looking for examples of Princess Mononoke costumes for my daughter this Halloween! Thanks for the crafty tips! I’ve already made the teeth!

– Oakland Mom

[Robyn]

The waiter should never have responded the way he did - I was appalled. So rude.

My dad brought back some salt from Europe that I sparingly use - it's not like I can easily replace that one. But I've never tried salt from Hawaii - that's now on my list.

[tnrsmama]

Funny timing, I have been having an ongoing debate with my mother about salt. She insists that it is better/important health wise to use iodized salt. I've been trying to convince her otherwise, but she has been quite stubborn. Oh well. I only keep that stuff in the house for making playdough.

I totally agree about Whole Foods deli too. It is the nastiest pretty food I've ever eaten.

I have a whole collection of great salts. One favorite is smoked salt on a nice grilled rib eye. Yum,!

[Karen]

ok - after reading your post I was inspired to try sea salt again and am now ADDICTED to those "flaky pyramids" of Maldon. I love them on everything!