Tuesday, April 07, 2009

Kosher Salt - Yum!

I've recently been reading Alton Brown's book I'm Just Here for the Food: Food + Heat = Cooking.

His book inspired me to pick up some kosher salt. I've never really messed with kosher salt and generally have tried to be conservative with my salt application.

I picked up a huge three pound box of kosher salt for under $2, and don't know how I cooked without it so long.

Kosher salt is different then regular table salt in that it's size is irregular, this allows you to have the opportunity to sprinkle the salt on the food, particularly meat, during cooking, especially in the earliest stage of cooking.

Alton Brown says in his book "I can always tell when food has been sprinkled with table salt because salt is the first thing I taste. Kosher salt works more behind the scenes and is therefore (to my tongue at least) a more effective seasoning."

I have to agree. Alton also points out that even though the crystals are larger, the crystals are fine, so when the crystals hit moist surfaces, they dissolve quickly.

Kosher salt is different from table salt in the size and irregular texture, and surprisingly I feel like it cooks differently in food. I would never recommend using it in your chocolate chip cookies, but it's great with vegetables and meats.

Get yourself a box, it's so good, it's affordable, and it's yum.

4 comments:

Loren Eaton said...

Actually, my wife makes an amazing banana-chocolate chip cookie with kosher salt. It's like an explosion of salinity in your mouth with every bite! Probably not so good for the ol' blood pressure, though.

AK said...

I say a HUGE amen to that. Kosher salt changed my cooking. I discovered it when we still lived in FW and would buy it by the pound in bulk section at Central Market for SO cheap. Oh, Central Market bulk section...there is no place like you!

William Petruzzo said...

It's posts like this that make me love this blog.

Anonymous said...

Actually, Alton Brown uses kosher salt in his chocolate chip cookies, and it is great! Try the chewy cookie recipe, and you will wonder how you ever made cookies without it.