Food for Thought: Salt, & So Much More

To many, salt is just salt. If you want to look further, however, salt is so much more than your typical ingredient. There are many distinct characteristics and varieties of salt out there; distinguishing between them can help progress your cooking abilities to wow your next dinner guests by enhancing the flavors of your food. Below are some salt recommendations from The Wooden Palate that you can experiment with to create your next spread with.  

Cooking Salts

• Gros Sal ("large salt”) - Good for making a salted crust on meat or fish, and salting pasta water. 
• Pickling - For brining pickles and sauerkraut

Finishing Salts

• Crystalline - For adding a burst to just-cooked foods
• Flake Sea Salt - For a finishing touch to steamed veggies, shellfish, and salads
• Fleur de Sel ("flower of salt”) - Fancy salt for a special occasion, mainly used as a finisher. This salt is best served from a wine cellar… pinch and sprinkle over food before eating. 
• Smoked Salt - Hence the name, this salt has a deep smokey flavor, and is a great addition to grilled meats and potatoes. 

All Purpose Salts

• Kosher - Good all purpose salt. Use for pretty much anything.
• Sel Gris ("grey salt”) - For cooking and finishing. Try it with fatty meats and roasted root vegetables. 
• Flavored - With herbs, lemon zest, truffle, balsamic or merlot. These are used as finishing salts for anything you would like: chicken, fish, soup, bread, caramels, popcorn, etc. 

If you pick up a few new salts, make sure to pick up a Salt Cellar too! The Salt Cellar dates way back to classical Rome, but its use has declined in modern times and has been commonly replaced with the salt shaker. Although many use them for a variety of purposes, our Salt Cellars are a great receptacle for your finer salts and provide a classy display on the dinner table.

Our solid South American Salt Cellars are made by hand in Los Angeles with a single piece of ancient tropical hardwood reclaimed from the Atlantic City Boardwalk. Each piece is an original creation and will vary slightly from the image shown.