One of the easiest ways to elevate your cooking to another level is to use flavored salts, or finishing salts. No recipe needed, really. Flavor + Salt = Flavored Salt. REALLY!!! I know you just had a V-8 moment just now (wow. that sure dates me. does anyone know what i’m talking about?!) My latest crush, Eric Gower the Breakaway Cook, writes extensively about finishing salts on his website and even gives you several flavors to try. I like to use these salts in place of regular salt – the flavor I use is dependent on either the type of dish I’m cooking, the ethnic cuisine or a flavor I would like to infuse in the dish. I call these Finishing Salts because most of the time, its exactly what I use them for.
Sometimes a dish just needs a little color after plating and a finishing salt is the perfect compliment flavor-wise and eye-candy-deliciousness-wise. Learn from professional cooks – who often serve food on white dinnerware – and sprinkle a little of your Finishing Salt directly on the food AND the plate. The vibrant colors are shown off against the white and your dinner guests can dab as much as or as little of the salt as they wish. You can make a batch for less than $1….or you could go to a gourmet shop and spend $12 for an itty bitty jar.
Szechuan Peppercorn Salt
Dry-roasted Szechuan or Sichuan Peppercorn + food processor to grind the peppercorn + sea salt. It’s spelled Sichuan nowadays, but for some reason I’ve always spelled it Szechuan. Anyways, spell how you like.
>>Edit: more detailed instructions: I roasted SZP in a hot, dry skillet until smoking but not burnt. Let that cool a little bit. Dump in food processor to grind to same size as your salt. Then you add your salt and pulse a just couple of times to fully incorporate the flavors together. I like my S&P a little chunky and not like a fine powder. I used equal amts of SZP and sea salt. You can adjust based on your tastes. If you are using a very fine sea salt or just regular table salt, decrease the amt of salt.
Szechuan Peppercorn is really not a peppercorn at all – its a berry from a bush that will make your tongue and lips tingle and numb when you eat them. Yes, its legal. No, you can’t snort it. When you dry-roast the peppercorns, your entire house will smell heavenly…woodsy, citrusy, earthy…so incredibly aromatic that Chef Kylie Kwong perfumes her restaurant daily with a hot, smoking, dry wok of roasted peppercorns. Add to any dish that needs a little kick in the pants. Cooking Chinese? Sprinkle some Szechuan Peppercorn Salt to finish any dish. I also love seasoning my steaks with this instead of the standard salt & pepper prior to grilling. This can also serve as a dipping salt for fried shrimp.
Fushia Dunlop
When you get your SZP, take a couple of pods and chew – the tip of your tongue will go tingly! Cooking the SZP tames the pepperyness and the numbing quality.
Citrus Salt
Grated orange peel + grated lemon peel + let the citrus peels dry a little bit on a paper towel + sea salt Think bright, cheery and light. Finish your shrimp skewers, any vegetables, grilled chicken breasts, grilled salmon with Citrus Salt. Lighten your risotto or steamed rice with Citrus Salt. I’ll be posting soon on a recipe I created, Panko-Crusted Grouper Cheeks with Japanese-Style Risotto and Citrus Salt. Long, fancy name for fish ‘n rice, I know. I need to shorten the name…just sounds too restaurant-y.
Matcha Salt
Matcha is Japanese green tea powder made from the highest quality of green tea leaves. Its a stunning and lovely mossy color which makes such a pretty finishing salt, especially if you use a white plate and also sprinkle some directly on the plate. Matcha powder + sea salt + couple pulses in food processor if you are using course sea salt You know what is so totally divine? Your favorite chocolate truffle or chocolate bar + dip in Matcha Salt. So very different! Eric Gower pairs it with eggs and tofu. Use with dishes that are light in texture and flavor, since this salt’s flavor is more delicate and subtle. It gives a beautiful floral, grassy, sweet and soothing aroma. You can buy Matcha powder at your local Asian market. Sometimes coffee/tea shops will carry as well. This is not the same as green tea leaves. Ask specifically for Matcha powder. Its a little expensive. I paid $7.50 for 1.4 oz jar at a Japanese market in Los Angeles (which will last me a long time as I only used about� 1 teaspoon in my mixture). Don’t get the super-premium stuff, it would be a waste to use the expensive powder for the salts. Buy online at Amazon (this is the brand I got). Use your leftover powder to make green tea ice cream. I have all three sitting patiently waiting for my next cooking adventure….you guys have any ideas for other flavors? What would you do with Chocolate Salt?
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Akin to matcha — if you get some nice high-quality lapsang souchoung tea leaves and grind it to a very fine powder, it makes for a lovely addition to spice rubs and such. I imagine a lapsang souchoung salt could be a lovely, smokey deep flavour boost.
I have heard of a cafe that makes it own chicken flavoured salt using the juices of their cooked chickens. Any ideas of how to do that at home?
hi steamy- yes, just like lyn, i made flavored salt (szp + salt) as gifts to family and friends last Christmas. They all loved it!! I also tried your roasted chicken (but with lemon, instead of orange), it was great! Keep on steamin’…by the way, i love your pictures.
Does anyone know precise directions for making truffle salt? I have around 2 dozen black summer truffles and over half a dozen fine salts. I would like to make truffle salts for my friends.
There are practically no references that I can find. One obscure reference I did find says some time back said the truffles must be dried, which makes sense, but on the other hand, I am told the truffles lose their aroma when dried. Should the truffles be powdered or finely grated? The truffles are so expensive that I don’t feel like experimenting too much.
I recently spent some time in Japan, where I was served some lovely homemade fried chicken sprinkled with what my hostess called ‘rose salt.’ This salt definitely tasted of roses and I don’t think was just rose-colored salt. Has anyone heard of this or know where I could find it in the States? It was delicious!
Two common salts that I use at work are Lemon Rosemary, and pink and dried porcini mushroom Salt. The Lemon Rosemary I use on Lamb shanks but would be good on any cut of lamb. The other I use on beef. Wonderful on nice dry aged steaks. Sometimes I make a Lemon, pink pepper corn salt that I use on seared scallops.
Do you use the both Szechuan peppercorn husks and seeds or just the seeds or just the husks?
mmm I thank you for your post, I’ve spent a year on trying to make salt (I only made a mess and yes a year). I stumbled upon your blog thanks for the simple answer I greatly over looked, finally my chips can reach their full potential.
Cilantro, lime, finely ground sea salt (regular salt was too much bite).
1 pkg. corn or flour tortillas (corn are lower in fat than flour)
seasoning
salt
Cut stack of tortillas into 8 wedges each. Spread wedges in a single layer on baking sheet. Sprinkle with seasoning and salt. Bake at 375 degrees about 10 minutes, turning after 5 minutes. Make sure you watch them closely. You do not want them too brown. Store in an air tight container. When serving, freshen the chips in the microwave about 45 seconds to 1 minute. Let sit about 5 to 10 minutes before eating so they can harden and cool.
Makes 200 chips
it’s like enjoying a margharita in a chip….I also like to use these chips in a fruity salsa. ^_^ Enjoy and thanks for the help.
For those who live in the New York City area, we are fortunate to have an excellent and inexpensive source for matcha tea powder, lavender buds, and everything in between: Kalustyans’s (as seen on Bravo’s ‘Top Chef’).
http://www.kalustyans.com/
I first made flavored salts years ago as part of a homemade Christmas gift basket for fellow foodies, and love the new ideas here. Instead of macarons, I think I’ll first try green tea truffles with matcha salt. Thank you!
I am looking for salt that is flavored with smoke. I have a hickory smoked salt but I wanted to know if there were others OR if it were possible to make it myself.
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