Before the heat · 03 / 15
Salt and seasoning
Salt early so it seasons the food, not just the surface at the end.
When to use it
Almost every savory recipe. Taste before you decide it needs more.
- 1
Salt meat 20 to 40 minutes ahead if you have the time, or right before it hits the pan.
- 2
Salt the water for pasta until it tastes like the sea. That is the sauce’s salt.
- 3
Season in layers: the onions, the sauce, then a last pinch off the heat.
- 4
Acid (lemon, vinegar) brightens a flat dish. Add it at the end, a few drops at a time.
- 5
Taste with a spoon, not the cooking spoon you just licked and put back.
You are done when
The dish tastes complete, not salty. You can name the main flavor.
Watch out
- Only salting at the table.
- Adding a lot of salt at once and then trying to rescue it with more food.