Salts and Spices

From trendy blends to drinks with friends, learn to understand salts and the various uses for brilliant applications in your cooking.

So first of all, it cannot go without saying that not all salts are created or at least finished, as equal. But because all salts are, at some point start their process in sea water, how they finish is determined by how they are processed, which in turn determines the potency of their finishing flavor, and how we use them in foods and drinks etc. As a rule of thumb, in the culinary world, the larger salts (like rock salts or flaked salts) is used in applications where the the flavor is released more subtle and over a longer slower period of time, like in brining or making marinades; but the less coarse, finer grinds (like table salt of cooking salts) are used when seasoning foods, finishing dishes, or creating spice blends.

The flavor of salt can become more potent or subtle over time depending on how they’re blended or aged. Because of this chefs will sometimes capture the flavor of salt by using other items such as, capers, seaweed, fermented pastes, sun dried tomatoes, soy sauces, and other foods that may lend a salty finish to a dish.

In light of the fact that salts carry such distinctly different flavors, it’s helpful to know just when, along with why to use them, as well as which salts to use, in order to achieve the flavors you’re sure to love. By now, it’s common knowledge that most chefs like to use slightly more coarse grind of salt like kosher or sea salt, because it’s easy to pinch, and has a neutral enough balance to not overpower the flavors of the foods that they’re added to. Without getting too much into the science of it, the basic function of salt is to enhance or highlight flavors that are already there; which explains why it affects foods differently; for example, it brings out the beefy flavor in a steak, adds a certain “pop” to soups and sauces, serves to brighten colors in certain foods like green beans and snap peas, and with just a pinch, it can even make sugar slightly sweeter. Incredible right! That being said, it shouldn’t be undervalued that each food ingredient carries its own signature flavors just waiting to be enhanced. If it weren’t for these signature flavors salt would make everything taste the same.

So in short, why are there so many salts? Because different salts, have different finishing signatures on foods, some being stronger in flavor while others maintain a more subtle enhancement. So serving something like scallops on a salt slab will cause the flavors to differ vastly from scallops that simply sprinkled with sea salt. Sprinkling a steak with crushed salt before cooking it will have vastly different affect than finishing it with shaved salt just before serving it.

Spice Blends

It is possible to actually purchase salts that have been infused with all number of herbs and spices, from citrus peels to flower buds, or, aged wines, whisky, and even smoke from hardwood varieties such as hickory or mesquite.

These combinations are sometimes referred to as spice blends and will often use salt, pepper and/or sugars as the base of the mix, while adding other flavors from spices to give a variety of flare. They can be great for adding a surprise element to cooked meats and vegetables or even desserts, like salted caramels. A few other popular examples of spice blends that can be found in some local markets are, Lemon Pepper, Garlic Salt, Blackening Spice, Cajun rubs, Poultry Season, Hickory Salt, Cabernet Salt, Whisky and Smoked Brown Sugar Salt just to name a few. Again the combinations are endless.

What chefs sometimes to look for to determine the overall potency of a spice blend, is found in the ingredients, and here’s the secret. If you look at the label and see “salt” as one of the FIRST few ingredients, it means that the salt has been used as the base of the mix and the other items have been added to the salt to create that flavor combination. So depending on the brand and their style of spice blending, you could be paying for a bottle that’s mostly filled with more salt, and just a few hints of other spices. Clever marketing right? But in truth conceptually these very same blends are simple enough that you could make them at home.

Try This...

Making Herbal Salt

We recommend that you start with fresh herbs, (thyme & rosemary are popular choices because they’re easily accessible, but dried herbs can work also. Just know that since they’ve been dehydrated of moisture and oils in them, the flavors will take a bit longer to manifest in the flavors...) but if your using fresh herbs, take and fine chop about 1 tablespoon of each one. Additionally take 1/4 cup of salt, and add 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper, and 1 teaspoon of lemon zest and fold it altogether in a cup or bowl... and that’s it! You’re done! You can either use or right away or if you want the flavor to be more pronounced you can let it sit for a few hours or a day or so. Use on things like chicken, vegetables, steaks, French Fries, and a host of other items that you want to give a little extra flare.

NOTE: Even after making the herb salt, you can still go back and add other spices to it to change or dial up the flavor.

Or Try This...

Try creating your own BBQ spice blend/marinade.

In a mixing bowl, add 1/4 cup of each of Paprika, Brown Sugar, and a Tablespoon of the following: Dried Thyme, Cumin, Granulated Garlic, Onion Powder, Dry Mustard, and black pepper. To make this a next level marinade, add 3 Tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce, 1/2 cup of your favorite rum or brandy, and 1/4 cup of your favorite oil. Mix it and let it sit for about 5 minutes and get ready to taste the difference!! Feel free to adjust it to your liking, for expose of you want it sweeter, you can add a touch of honey or a little more sugar etc, or if you want it more Smokey you can add cumin or chipotle powder or just little liquid smoke , or if you want it to be spicier you can add actual chipotle peppers, or a dash of cayenne etc... Play with it, and make it your own; remember it’s all about helping you create your own signature flavors!

Drop us a line and let us know how it turns out!