Extra Coarse Salt

[LizD518]

I have about a pound of Extra Coarse Sea Salt that I purchased from Penzey's to be used in my salt grinder. However, I cook primarily for myself and so I rarely add salt at the table, and when I do, I am likely to grab a tiny pinch of kosher salt instead. I know the salt won't go bad, but it seems like a waste to just leave it sitting in the cupboard. Am I missing a great opportunity where it would be more suitable than kosher?

[Darienne]

Try it on the top of chocolate bark, or chocolate-dipped toffee.

[hathor]

Roast shrimp on top of the salt. Spread a layer of salt on a baking sheet.

Using scissors, horizontally cut the top of a shrimp shell off. Lay the shrimp on the salt, shell side down and broil. If you are feeling garlic hungry, finely chop parsley & garlic and lay it between the bottom half of the shell and the shrimp body. Finish with olive oil when serving.

Use the coarse salt for salting the pasta water. or the potato water. or the vegetable water.

[Darienne]

Hmmm...why not put it in your electric grinder and then just add it to your regular salt stash?

[Katie Meadow]

Agree. No reason to let it age on the shelf. Use it as finishing salt instead of using the kosher salt that way. We buy gray sea salt, which is also pretty coarse. I just break or flake it up with a small mortar and pestle in salt-cellar quantities as needed.

[LizD518]

Darienne, I did make some salted caramels last year and used kosher salt, which didn't have enough presence so the coarse stuff would probably be perfect.

Hathor, the shrimp sounds great - I'll have to look for some nice jumbo shrimp to use for that.

[Anna N]

I use extra coarse salt to balance clam shells on when making clams casino. I keep it in a jar and re-use for that purpose only.

[andiesenji]

I spread extra coarse salt in a dry cast iron skillet with coarsely cracked pepper, heat it to the point that the pepper begins smoking, then toss in a steak and grill it on both sides, sometimes adding a bit more of the salt and pepper chunks while holding the steak out of the pan before it over.

Some of the salt and pepper sticks to the steak, which is fine with me but it is certainly less salt than with regular salting.

[ambra]

You can always use it to salt pasta water!

However, all of the above are excellent suggestions.

[suzilightning]

use it on top of kummelwick rolls then make beef on 'weck.

[Chris Hennes]

How coarse are we talking here? Could you put it on homemade soft pretzels?

[Marlene]

If you're baking baguettes or other crusty breads, brush the top with olive oil and sprinkle with coarse salt before baking.

[Alex Parker]

Why not try something really fun, and coat the salt in some sort of glaze, then try and cook it? Just an idea, but it may be really neat if you can figure it out! I may give it a whirl this afternoon.

Alex