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Salt: how to best use our favourite seasoning
The nation’s first choice condiment is a simple way to pep up your plates. Try these ideas…
From preserving to seasoning, balancing sweetness to adding a crunch to a finished dish, salt really is the ingredient of many talents. When used well, it can upgrade the simplest of meals by bringing out the best of flavours and adding depth. Our craving for salty snacks and meals partly stems from a biological need – as humans, we need sodium to survive and can’t produce it ourselves. So, it is essential in our diets. But moderation is key. Always taste before adding salt, especially when your dish contains salty ingredients such as stock, cheese or cured meats. An overly salted meal is memorable for all the wrong reasons…
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Salt
The two most common salts in the UK are table and sea. The former is great for baking and seasoning water for pasta and vegetables, while sea salt has a cleaner taste and comes in different grades. Try coarse sea salt on desserts for a delicious sweet-salty flavour.
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Cheese
Whether it’s a grating of Parmesan to finish a dish or a slab of halloumi in a burger, cheese brings an irresistible dimension to meals. The saltier the cheese, the less you need to use to get that hit. For a cheese board, search out good-quality cheddars with salt crystals.
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Fish
Preserved fish such as anchovies are fantastic for adding saltiness to a dish and are so versatile. Drape anchovies over pizzas or squash them into a paste in pasta sauces for a deep savoury taste. Fish sauce is an essential condiment for bringing balance to Asian cuisines.
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Pork
A little goes a long way with cured and seasoned pork. Sausages, bacon, chorizo and ham can all add salty flavour without feeling overpowering. Diced pancetta or bacon in a bolognese add such depth, while a little chorizo in a risotto or pasta dish packs in the flavour.
Try these recipes for a delicious bitter bite:
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