Fortunately for lovers of salty, there are many alternatives to standard table salt: coarse kosher (sold in Jewish food stores), stone, sea or unique varieties with clay and mineral particles from India and Hawaii (sold in eastern and healthy food stores, in large supermarkets ).
The crystals of these types of salt are larger in size than table salt, therefore, a teaspoon contains less sodium. In addition, basically these kinds of salt sprinkle food just before serving, rather than in the process of cooking: health experts say that this reduces the amount of sodium consumed. But anyway, table salt for human health is very useful.
Table salt instead of spices
But the variety of substances added to many types of table salt for human health is not limited to this. More and more chefs are experimenting with flavored food salts for the revitalization of their dishes, for the production of which they mix salt crystals with spices, herbs, seeds and even flowers, fruits and vegetables (for example, with violets, lemon or dried mushrooms). As a final touch, such salt brings an element that itself can not give a flavoring or flavoring additive.
For example, you can add fresh basil leaves to the dish , but the salt flavored with basil creates an unusual texture that can not be obtained by using the grass itself. Other experts agree that this new combination of taste and texture, proposed by Walter Pisano, stimulates the appetite and gives the dish expressiveness.
The simplest and most common way to produce flavored table salt is to crush the mashed flavor ingredient (herb, spice, seeds, fruit, vegetable or flower) with the selected salt, preferably from "useful" species. If you use ordinary sea salt, combine it with the additive and grind the mixture in a food processor. If you use salt with a special crystalline structure, for example, Maldon or "fleur de sel", grind the additive separately in a grinding mill and then mix with the salt, without damaging the crystals.
Chad Galiano, Chef "Neomi's Grill" at the Trump International Hotel "Sonesta Beach Resort", Florida, USA:
"The anisic table salt, which I sprinkle with blanched soybeans, I created on the advice of my mother-in-law, she always added ground anise seeds to a pinch of Maldon salt."
Walter Pisano, executive chef of the restaurant "Tolio", Seattle, USA:
"I season the potatoes especially - mixing dry porcini mushrooms and sea salt in a food processor, by the same method I prepare the salt with basil, mixing sea salt with the same amount of basil.I usually use such a flavored salt for seasoning the already prepared dish, I mixed it and salted the mushroom salted salmon mixture, then baked it.There was something new to taste - like a fish was rubbed with spices! "
It is not worth it to cook smoked salt during the picnic season. If you use a charcoal grill with a closing lid. Put a layer of sea salt on a metal tray and leave it on the grill after cooking. Close the grill and let the salt stand until the next morning in the smoke and soak it. You can change the taste of salt, if you put chips or chips of trees of different breeds on charcoal, or sprinkle them with herbs or spices, for example, whole branches of lavender, coriander seeds, etc. Their aroma will be absorbed into the salt during smoking.
Smoked salt has a pronounced, strong taste and is best combined with protein products: meat, fish, milk. Although some cooks use it for baking (for example, in home crackers - dry biscuits - or chocolate desserts) - this gives it a more complex and unusual taste.
With this method, the ingredients "insist", so that their flavor is absorbed into the salt. Just put a substance with a strong smell in a sealed container with salt crystals, shake to mix the contents, and leave for a few days, weeks, months.
Alexander Talbot and Aki Kamozawa, chef at the Keiya Grand Restaurant, Pagosa Springs, Colorado, USA:
"Vanilla pods or truffles are expensive, but thanks to their strong aroma they are excellent aromatic additives.We cut a whole vanilla pod in half and scrape the seeds out of the core, then mix them with the salt and the remaining pod. After a few days, remove the seeds (the pod remains in the salt for further aromatization).
Truffle salt is prepared in the same way: we cut one truffle into several parts and keep it in a jar with salt until the salt reaches the desired level of the severity of the smell. Then remove the pieces of truffle (and immediately use them for food - they are expensive!). Eggs, risottos and root vegetable soups are perfectly combined with truffle salt, flavored in this way. In them you can add yourself truffles. "
Table salts for human health .
Wet kosher or any coarse salt to evenly distribute the flavor. Mix the wet salt with the powdered aromatic additive, for example with green tea powder, and then slowly fry the mixture in a frying pan (like fry the seeds) until it is completely dry.
Noriyaki Yasutaki, chef on the sushi at the restaurant "Perris", Washington, USA:
"Roast is my favorite way of making scented salt." Salt with green tea is ideal for many types of fish, both raw and fried, in batter or grilled.In Japan, we traditionally add it to a rice dish with nori seaweed and dried fish flakes of tuna.