The joy of salt

I'm reading Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat by Samin Nosrat & loving it

Welcome to my Home Culinary School series. I’ve always wanted to go to culinary school, so instead of waiting for the perfect time, and in a moment of madness, I decided to let Escoffier guide me through his extensive text, Le Guide Culinaire.

It didn’t take long to realize that, given as Escoffier was writing for professional cooks and chefs, certain aspects of culinary knowledge were taken for granted. So, now I regularly consult the work of other chefs as I seek to develop my culinary skills.

In today’s entry, I’m giving Escoffier a little break and instead turning my attention to Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat by Samin Nosrat and The Food Lab by J. Kenji López-Alt.

“James Beard, the father of modern American cookery, once asked, ‘’Where would we be without salt?’ I know the answer: adrift in a sea of blandness. If only one lesson from this book stays with you, let it be this: Salt has a greater impact on flavor than any other ingredient. Learn to use it well, and your food will taste good’’ ( Samin Nosrat - Salt Fat, Acid, Heat )

Lesson #3 

5.27pm Sunday afternoon

Coffee units: 1 (cold brew at 9am and now I want another, but it’s 5pm)

Negative thoughts: 0!

Positive thoughts: 20

If there is one person I would absolutely love to invite me to dinner it's Samin Nosrat. In her fascinatingly informative book Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat, Nosrat - a wonderful storyteller - effortlessly delves into topics, explaining them with refreshing clarity. After studying and working from the rather intimidating Le Guide Culinaire, immersing oneself in Nosrat’s Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat feels like a warm hug. 

6.30pm 

I'm back. My concentration was waning, and drowsiness crept in, so I’ve surrendered to the allure of a steaming mug of coffee. No regrets there. Now, where was I? Salt! I fancied myself rather knowledgeable about seasoning, but reading Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat has truly humbled me. 

Watching my mother cook for many years I have always noticed that she cooks with rhythm and ease, adding a little of this and a little of that, as if she's attuned to an inner voice guiding her with a timely "now”. It's a mysterious cadence, but one she seems to  follow effortlessly. It’s only recently I realized that, witnessing her technique, I naturally adopted it without much thought: season, taste, add more seasoning and taste again. Because this approach always felt instinctive, I never really delved deeper into the theory behind it and that's precisely why I've embarked on this journey of home culinary school—to uncover the whys behind cooking. So let's do just that.

Here are some of my study notes (for this, you may need a cocktail - I suggest a dirty martini): 

What is salt?

Salt, composed of sodium chloride, is a crystalline compound utilized as a seasoning and preservative. It's not just a flavor enhancer however; salt is essential for life itself—we need it to survive.

Okay, take a sip of your cocktail now, because here come the nerdy bits. So, salt is primarily harvested from seawater through solar evaporation in salt ponds or mined from ancient underground deposits formed by dried-up oceans or lakes (google: ancient underground salt lakes - trust me, it’s fascinating). 

Additionally, salt can be obtained from salt pans and specialty geological formations like Himalayan pink salt mines. While the harvesting process remains largely consistent—extracting salt from saltwater brine—the rate of evaporation influences the shape of the salt crystals, leading to my next point. Stay with me! 

Types & flavors of salt 

Table salt - granular salt found in salt shakers

Sea salt - Sea salt is a type of salt that is produced by evaporating seawater, resulting in coarse or fine crystals with various levels of mineral content.

Kosher salt - a coarse-grained salt with no additives, typically used in koshering meat and in cooking for its ability to draw out moisture and adhere easily to food surfaces.

As for the flavor? Nosrat says ‘Salt should taste clean, free of any unpleasant flavors…..like the summer sea’.  

In Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat, Nosrat emphasizes the significance of understanding the characteristics of the salt you use at home. This includes considerations such as texture (coarse or fine), dissolution rate in water, and strength. For instance, when it comes to kosher salt, brands like Morton are notably denser and saltier compared to Diamond Crystal. These variations, even within brands, can significantly impact the outcome of your recipes.

Table salt

Growing up, we never had table salt in those little shakers, though pepper was always on hand. My dad used to say: "You don't need extra salt; the food is already salted enough," and he was probably right. My first encounter with table salt was at school in the dinner hall. Sprinkling it on my food, I found it imparted a faintly metallic taste, reminiscent of blood—I didn't like it. Here's where it gets intriguing: the reason for that metallic flavor lies in the iodine content commonly found in table salt. According to Nosrat, iodine was added to salt in 1924 to combat widespread iodine deficiency. Nowadays, with the availability of a plethora of vitamins and natural sources of iodine ( fish, shellfish, dairy, eggs and chicken), if you're inclined to season your food, consider options like Maldon or Fleur de Sel (finishing salt). And that brings us to sea salt!

Sea salt

Fleur de sel translates to ‘flower of salt’ in English, and refers to a type of sea salt that forms as delicate, thin crystals on the surface of seawater as it evaporates. Now I’m no salt sommelier, but fleur de sel, to me at least, has a very subtle floral sweetness. Therefore I find it particularly pleasant when sprinkled on fish or sweet baked dishes or desserts - recently I made a blood orange caramel dessert that was delicious with a little fleur de sel sprinkled on top. 

Sel gris is another type of sea salt. Harvested on the northern coast of France it derives from the same salt pans as fleur de sel, but undergoes a different method of harvesting. Whereas fleur de sel is raked off the surface, sel gris sits underneath on the bottom of the salt pan, hence its gray color. With a denser mineral flower than fleur de sel, sel gris is coarse, gray and moist making it suitable for cooking as well as finishing dishes. 

Finally, let’s consider Maldon salt, which is a type of flaky sea salt produced in Maldon, England. Known for its pyramid-shaped crystals, delicate crunchy texture, and subtle flavor, Maldon salt is used as a finishing salt or garnish for savory as well as sweet dishes. The packaging is also rather lovely. 

These salts, as you will know, are far more expensive than your average shaker table salt, this is because they are harvested using labor-intensive methods ( Maldon salt can take up to 5 years to produce). Sea salt’s coarser texture can result in a different mouthfeel than standard table salt as well as a more distinctive flavor, depending on the mineral content. These subtle differences mean that it’s best to think of sea salt as a finishing salt rather than dumping handfuls of it in a soup.

Kosher salt 

Are you still with me? Good! You must be rather hungry by now! So, as we continue to discuss salt, why don’t you grab a bag of salted nuts (cashews & pistachios are my current favorites) to go with that diminishing cocktail? 

Kosher salt acquires its name from its role in the koshering process of meats, where it is employed to draw out blood. Unlike table salt, kosher salt contains no additives. You'll commonly find it listed as an ingredient in many recipes. According to Nosrat, the leading brand, Diamond Crystal, dissolves about twice as fast as denser granulated salt, such as Morton. J. Kenji López-Alt, in The Food Lab, also favors Diamond Crystal due to the ‘size of its grains’.

Oh dear. I’m flagging. The effects of that coffee on a fairly empty stomach is making my head spin. I’m off to make dinner. 

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10.36am Monday morning

Coffee units: 1 (last of the cold brew)

Negative thoughts: 3

Positive thoughts. 12.5

I’m reading my diary entries from the last few days and….ugh! It's a recurring pattern. Every time I aim for concise, Hemingway-esque sentences, I end up rambling. Granted, I've chosen a hefty subject to tackle, but I don’t want you falling asleep so let me get to the point: I'll now share what I'm learning about salt and how it's refining my cooking skills right now in real time.  I also simply must tell you about what I made for dinner last night and how my new-found knowledge helped me make the best (and most balanced) chicken soup ever.

The best way to do this is to explore some salt myths and truths. 

Myth 

You have to use a LOT of salt for your food to be flavorsome

Actually, it turns out you don’t. You simply have to use the most appropriate salt for your recipe and salt/season at the right time as well as use the correct method.

Truth 

Season from within  

Dinner last night for instance. I whipped up my lemon and mascarpone spatchcock chicken (recipe here)—a versatile recipe.

I kicked off by prepping the chicken the day before, salting the skin and letting it rest exposed in the fridge overnight. Why? Because I'm learning the importance of salting from within. Some recipes truly shine when you give the salt sufficient time to permeate throughout the food. 

Samin Nosrat says cooking is 'part artistry, part chemistry,' and she's spot-on. Science has never been a strength of mine, so I won’t delve too deeply into the particulars, but in a nutshell, Nosrat, with illustrations courtesy of Wendy Macnaughton, simplifies it: osmosis in food ‘is the movement of water across a cell wall from the less salty side to the saltier side’ (that’s why you see beads of water on chicken after salting). On the other hand, diffusion is the gradual movement of salt ‘from a saltier environment to a less salty one until evenly distributed throughout’. This is why taking the time to salt meat, such as chicken, in advance yields better results: the salt gradually penetrates the meat, ensuring even distribution, rather than salting at the last moment, which can result in uneven seasoning, leaving some areas overly salty while others taste horribly bland (and often dry).

Myth 

Salt makes meat dry and tough 

Some cooks worry that salting too early can dehydrate meat due to the osmotic process of water extraction. While this may be true for delicate proteins like fish, where a short salting period is necessary to prevent an unpleasantly chewy texture, for meats such as chicken and beef, allowing adequate time for salt to dissolve the protein strands into a gel actually enhances water absorption, resulting in juicier, more tender meat. 

Truth 

The larger and denser the meat, the earlier you should salt it

Nosrat advises that meats like oxtails and short ribs can be salted two days in advance ,whilst chicken for roasting can be salted 1 day in advance and a turkey (say for Thanksgiving) can be seasoned 2-3 days in advance. Good to know! Oh Samin, how I love you. You make science seem like fun.

Myth

Cooking foods in salted water is unhealthy 

It’s amazing how shy home cooks are when using salt in food, but when making a Friday evening run to a certain burger joint for a ‘double double’ , or ordering pizza to watch the big game, all fear goes out the window. Unless your doctor has instructed you to avoid salt, cooking foods in salted water at home is not unhealthy! As J. Kenji López-Alt says in The Food Lab ‘....ask me why your food tastes blander than you’d like it to, 90 percent of the time, all it needs is a little pinch of salt.’’

Truth 

Salted water is mineral rich 

I've been learning a lot from Salt, Fat Acid Heat, and one fascinating point I've discovered is that being a bit liberal with salt when boiling vegetables can actually help retain their nutrients. Nosrat explains that generously salting the cooking water ensures that its mineral concentration matches or exceeds that of the vegetables, preventing them from leaching out minerals and natural sugars during cooking, resulting in bland, less-nutritious vegetables. Having carried out further reading on this, there are many differing opinions on the matter, so I remain curious... 

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Wednesday 8.08am

Coffee units: 0  (I’m trying my best to eat breakfast before any intake of caffeine!)

Negative thoughts: 2 (simply because I haven't had caffeine!)

Positive thoughts. 18

Chicken soup and flavor building

Every time I make a spatchcock chicken, I use the carcass for stock and then make a big batch of chicken soup.

As I mentioned a few days ago, I grew up watching my Mother add seasonings and ingredients to soups and stews incrementally, with a touch of lemon, vinegar or wine added at the very end. This is a perfect example of flavor building. When you gradually add seasoning, this method not only allows you to have control over the amount of salt you’re adding, but gradually adding flavor into each component adds extra nuance and layers of flavor to the dish.

Salt in its different forms

Whilst making my chicken soup from the leftover spatchock chicken I considered the following factors before mindlessly adding handfuls of salt to my soup:

1. My spatchcock chicken was already pre-salted.

2. When I made the chicken stock with my chicken carcass, I added a few pinches of salt.

3. Additionally, for this soup recipe, I decided to add a spare parmesan rind. Parmesan is high in salt content. 

4. While sautéing the onions, I seasoned them lightly with a pinch or two of salt.

5. Finally, to add brightness towards the end of cooking, I added a little seasoned rice wine vinegar, which serves as another form of salt.

Notice the multitude of sources of salt? While I'm honing my ability to apply salt with confidence, I'm finding out how crucial it is to understand the cumulative effect of salt from different sources in a single recipe. Ingredients such as capers, olives, sauces (Worcestershire or hot sauce), cheese (Parmesan) and meats (bacon or prosciutto) can introduce nuanced flavors to soups and stews. However, it's imperative to taste as you cook and keep a mental tally of the added salt elements to ensure your dish doesn't become overly salty = one note. 

I like to think of salt as the director and producer of the movie, not to be confused with the star; salt is meant to enhance the flavors of the ingredients, not overpower them. 

Making home food taste as good as a restaurant meal 

Pavlovas with salted vanilla lemon curd inspired by Chef Jeremy Lee.

I can't recall who told me that the sole disparity between home-cooked meals and restaurant fare lies in the quantities of salt and butter used. While I'm not entirely convinced (the expertise of skilled chefs surely plays a role), it prompted me to ponder: How can one achieve restaurant-quality flavor in home cooking without raising one's blood pressure or suffering a heart attack? 

Samin Nosrat suggests that you should ask yourself three questions when using salt: ‘When? How much? In what form?’

These are some ways I’m continuing to hone my skills

1. I’m studying Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat and The Food Lab. Perhaps you might consider delving into these repositories of culinary knowledge as well?

2. I keep a salt box/cellar right by the stove and use my hands to season as opposed to a shaker. J. Kenji López-Alt notes in The Food Lab: ‘’Having a container of salt in a prominent spot by your prep station or stove serves as a constant reminder to season, taste, season and taste again, until you get it exactly right”. 

3. I now use Diamond Crystal for cooking and stick with this brand so that I can rely on the quantities that work best for different recipes.

4. I use Maldon salt and fleur de sel as finishing salt only (for the crunch and subtle flavor).

5. I'm refining my palate and conducting experiments. Just the other day, despite the arrival of spring, I couldn't resist making another soup. Dividing my ingredients into two pots, I confidently added a handful of salt to one pot right at the start, while in the other, I gradually seasoned at different stages of cooking—when sautéing the onions, then after adding the celery and carrots. After a blind taste test, I found myself preferring the soup I had salted gradually; it was my palate that guided me. Getting to know your taste and preferences will be your greatest asset, whether you're a pro or home cook. 

6. Lately, I've been dabbling with a combination of salt and sugar. While preparing a tomato based pasta sauce with canned tomatoes, I decided to test the effect of adding a little brown sugar. Even this small quantity of sweetness cut the pervasive level of acidity resulting in an incredibly delicious and perfectly balanced sauce. I understand there's a school of thought that deems adding sugar to pasta sauce a culinary taboo, but in this case, the sugar harmonized with the salty components, enhancing the rich, savory flavors even further.

7. It is important to understand the crucial role of acid + salt. As Nosrat says: ‘sometimes, food that seems salty isn’t actually over salted, it just needs to be balanced with some acid or fat’. So, if you’re working on a soup or sauce and you are ready to chuck it in the bin because it’s ‘too salty’, try adding the juice of half a lemon,  a little olive oil, or if all else fails, slightly dilute the sauce with a little water, then taste! 

8. I’m checking the ingredients of all spices, especially spice mixes. In America, I’ve noticed that a lot of spices and spice mixes contain added salt, and even sugar. Sometimes this isn’t clear when glancing at the label so I now double-check the ingredient lists on the back of spice packets before purchasing. If it says added salt, I replace the item and move on. After all, I am seeking to gain more control over the final culinary offering. 

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Phew! We did it! We are now salt connoisseurs (kinda). Thank you for sharing my latest home culinary school adventures. Hopefully, like me, you now feel more confident about using salt in your home cooking. Right, I’m off! Meet you back here next Sunday.

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