A brief stay in the kitchen can lead to a life of good health

“What’s the most important thing for a cook to know in your kitchen?”
[Keller] paused, then said, “Seasoning.”
“What do you mean, seasoning?”
“Salt and pepper.” He paused again. “Salt, really.”
“The most important thing for a cook to know is how to salt food?”
“That’s right,” he said.
-Michael Ruhlman, The Elements of Cooking

What’s true in the restaurant is often true in the home: the single most important thing you can do as a home cook is learn how to season (salt) your food. Many people think seasoning has to do with salt and pepper and spices (seasoning!), but it doesn’t. It’s all about the salt.

How important is salt?

Very. Salt is one of our five basic tastes, and the only one of our five basic tastes that’s naturally occurring. Salt is salty. No other substance on earth can make the same claim. Our bodies also need salt to regulate themselves. Salt helps lessen bitter flavors in food, and it helps elevate everything else. In culinary school, they teach salt first, and then continue to teach it, over and over and over until seasoning becomes second nature.

How do I salt my food?

First, get rid of that old blue cylinder of Morton’s iodized salt. Iodine deficiency isn’t a problem anymore, and the added iodine can sometimes impart a weird fishy flavor to foods and salted water. Plus, the refined, regular crystalline structure of table salt makes it inferior for most seasoning purposes. Instead, buy a box of kosher salt. I use Morton’s because that’s what they have at my local grocery store, but I’m sure any brand will do. It’s cheap, and the crystals’ structure helps it absorb moisture and cling to food surfaces. It also dissolves just fine in hot and boiling water. (And if you’re doing it right, you can pretty much throw out the salt shaker you keep on the counter or the dining room table. You won’t need it any more)

What if I’m cooking with water?

Always salt your water. The amount of salt depends on what you’re cooking and whether or not it will be absorbing any liquid. For dry ingredients like pasta, rice and lentils, you’ll want to use 2 – 3 tablespoons per gallon of water. For things that won’t be absorbing any liquid, you’ll want to use ½ cup to a cup of salt per gallon of water. In order to ensure dry ingredients are properly seasoned (but not salty), the water should taste seasoned, like a soup broth. For things that won’t be re-hydrating, like fresh green beans, the water should taste salty as sea water.

Also, don’t be afraid to taste your food as you go along. One of the great things about cooking, as opposed to baking, is that you can fix mistakes as you go. And salted water is no different. Boiling water evaporates. As the water evaporates, the concentration of salt to water is going to increase. If you’re boiling or simmering for a long time, you might need to add a little water. Otherwise, your salt concentration might get too high and your food will be ruined. How do you know if this is happening? Be aware and taste. Simple as that.

Recipe for boiled potatoes:

• Peel four medium potatoes and cut them into 1-inch cubes (give or take)
  • I like Yukon gold potatoes because of their high starch content
• Place the potatoes in a large pot, and add cold water until the potatoes are just submerged
• Place the pot on the stove top and set the burner to high
• Add about half a tablespoon of salt, stir to dissolve and then use a clean spoon to taste the water (don’t burn yourself).  If it tastes good, you’re fine. If it tastes like potato water, add another half-tablespoon of salt and taste again. There will come a moment when you realize it’s seasoned. Be aware enough to recognize this moment.
• Let the water come to a boil, then let the potatoes boil for about 7 minutes
• When they’re done, drain them

You can serve them as-is, add butter and cream and mash them, or cover them in cheese and sour cream and bacon bits. Whatever you choose, you probably won’t have to salt them.

Potato leek soup:

• Start off with one large leek
• Cut the white and very light green sections into half-inch rounds
• Sautee the rounds in a stock pot with a little bit of olive oil until they just begin to brown (over medium-high heat)
• Add cut potatoes and water (as per boiled potato recipe—and don’t forget the salt!) bring to a boil and let boil for seven minutes
• Do not drain them
• Puree using an immersion blender

If you want a brighter looking soup, you can add some cream. You could also add some cheese or nothing. The soup is awesome as-is (because you salted properly!).

For a nice finishing touch, a couple grinds of fresh black pepper and a pinch of fresh-cut chives add a bit of color and really bring all the tastes together

Green beans:

• Add a quarter-cup of kosher salt to a half gallon of water
• Put it on the stove and turn the heat up to high
• While the water heats, get a couple large handfuls of green beans and prep them for cooking – snap the ends off and, if you’re feeding folks with small mouths, break the beans in half
• When the water comes to a boil, gently place the green beans in the water and let them go for about seven minutes.
• Drain them in a colander and serve immediately

What about meat?

I salt beef, pork and chicken when I take it out of the refrigerator. Ideally, I take meat out of the refrigerator about 20 minutes before I’m going to cook it to give it a chance to come up towards room temperature (don’t worry, the salt should prevent any bacteria from getting cozy in your food, and the subsequent heat should take care of anything hearty enough to survive the salt). I add enough salt so the meat looks like it’s had a light dusting of snow (see photo, above).

Pork roast:

• Start with a large pork loin
• Salt all sides liberally and set it in a pan on the counter
• Begin preheating the oven to 250 degrees Fahrenheit (eventually I’ll do metric conversions for the folks in England, Canada and the rest of the civilized world, but for now you’ll have to do your own)
• Cut up some potatoes and carrots and set them in a roasting pan
• Sprinkle the potatoes and carrots with a little olive oil and a little kosher salt
• After the meat has come up to temperature (about 15 or 20 minutes) place a large skillet on a burner over medium-high heat
• Let the pan get hot, add a little olive oil, then sear the roast on each side for about sixty seconds–this will give you the wonderful texture and flavor that comes with searing
• Then move the pork into the roasting pan (make sure the loins are touching the bottom of the pan), cover the pan in foil and stick it into the oven for about two hours

When you’re done, you’ll have perfectly seasoned pork that just falls apart it’s so tender

What about fancy salts?

Mario Batali uses three kinds of salt. I’ve just branched out from kosher and am now the proud owner of some very coarse gray sea salt. I add just a few grains to roasted beef or roasted potatoes. The large grains don’t dissolve and provide a wonderfully crunchy, delightfully seasoned bite. A very little bit goes a long way. For fish, I think you could get the same effect with some coarse-grained sea salt. The white crystals would look striking against the deep red of raw tuna, for example. Just remember: a little goes a long way.

What now?

Now go get yourself some proper salt. It’s the first step in becoming a proper cook (and a better person).