Menu Planning Help

[Kevin72]

For Christmas I got a bunch of little packets of various artisan salts: Himalayan pink, Hawaiian, this really cool shaved kind, a black salt, and a smoked salt. So I've been wanting to cook a meal that highlights the salts in some way or another. I've got two courses definitely locked down, I just need one or maybe two more.

1) Radishes with butter and that shaved salt: Seeing Tony and the other chefs reduced to puddles when served this at Prune(?) on No Res piqued my interest, then we got to actually try it at Catalan in Houston over the Holidays and loved it.

2) Poached scallop with smoked salt: I want this to be really, really simple and clean. So I'm poaching it just in plain tap water to keep it sweet, cooking it medium rare at the most, then slicing it, sprinkling it with the smoked salt, olive oil, and some microgreens on the side. This was the first dish I thought of when I considered doing this meal. I really like the idea of contrasting the smokey salt up against the sweet scallop. Though I'm also dying to try it on some nice grilled steak come summer!

So, like I said, one or two more courses (I'm not doing a course for each salt I have). Nothing too complex in technique (i.e., no sous vides or anything). Certainly a main, meat or fish type course. If I do another course it'd be an app or vegetable, I think.

I considered doing something in a salt crust, but got concerned that it would be too pricey and really, how much of the distinctive flavor of the salt would get in there?

Thoughts?

[dockhl]

Kevin~

those sound awesome. I got three kinds of salt for Xmas, too

I LOVE the smoked one on a steak done in the cast iron pan with olive oil and pepper. Nothing else. In fact, a good substitute for the summergrilled flavor.

I got a fine pink Himalayan, and a fluffy powdered white French one. I think I'll try that on radishes ! I have a coarser pink Hawaiian from Trader Joe's and it is SO salty I can barely use it.

I also like the smoked one on fried eggs

Can't wait to see other suggestions.

[tsquare]

Chocolate truffles for dessert, each topped with a salt? Or caramels coated in chocolate if you have more skill.

[Tess]

What about creating a platter with light-colored things such as goat cheese, butter on crackers, and cucumber slices topped with different colored/flavored salt?

I like a black Hawaiian salt on goat cheese; the charcoal flavor works well.

[Kevin72]

Only problem is my wife hates goat cheese, or you'd be onto something there, I think. Hmmm.

I tried the chocolate/salt thing once and it was a disaster. Is there a particular kind of chocolate and/or salt to pair together?

And dockhl, I think I tried that same one you're talking about and noticed that it was supremely salty as well, so either I'll skip it or be very judicious with it.

Edited January 26, 2008 by Kevin72 (log)

[Tess]

I like all kinds of chocolate and caramels that come with salt. My current favorite is the Vosges rich or dark milk chocolate salty flavors, such as the Barcelona Bar.

For a dinner party, what about custard (creme caramel or pots de creme) topped with salt? I just did some googling on those keywords and saw a number of recipes. Or caramel ice cream sprinkled with salt?

[nibor]

Little crackers or butter cookies with salt and pepper?

[Shalmanese]

2) Poached scallop with smoked salt:  I want this to be really, really simple and clean.  So I'm poaching it just in plain tap water to keep it sweet, cooking it medium rare at the most, then slicing it, sprinkling it with the smoked salt, olive oil, and some microgreens on the side.  This was the first dish I thought of when I considered doing this meal.  I really like the idea of contrasting the smokey salt up against the sweet scallop.  Though I'm also dying to try it on some nice grilled steak come summer!

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Why not poach them in olive oil? Put the scallops in a ziplock bag, add enough oil to cover completely and submerge in barely simmering water.

Personally, this seems kind of affected, I don't see enough differences between the salts that I would want to feature them in dishes.

[Chris Hennes]

Personally, this seems kind of affected, I don't see enough differences between the salts that I would want to feature them in dishes.

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Isn't that the point of featuring them in dishes, though? To emphasize the subtle differences? I have recently purchased a bunch of different salts from L'Epicerie, and this sounds like a great idea to me!

[Tess]

I find that when different colored/flavored/textures salts are used on top of foods, they are quite different in taste as well as appearance.

You've already got the radish idea, but another vegetable thing I like is sliced Maui onions with pink Hawaiian salt. Hwaiian salt is also good on Hawaiian raw fish dishes. Checking websites for local Hawaiian food may give you some other ideas for using that salt.

[nikkib]

Personally, this seems kind of affected, I don't see enough differences between the salts that I would want to feature them in dishes.

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Isn't that the point of featuring them in dishes, though? To emphasize the subtle differences? I have recently purchased a bunch of different salts from L'Epicerie, and this sounds like a great idea to me!

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At Per Se they serve a sort of foie gras parfait with a chunk of brioche and 12 different salts a couple of hawaiin (one pink, one black) 2 french, maldon sea salt fom here in the uk and several from the states which escape me now (an orangey californian?) - they serve them all in different shape and size pots with individual salt spoons - again all different. We tried all of them and found the differences really interesting - have fun!