Worth One's Salt: fleur de sel to kosher

[andiesenji]

I confess that at one time I was a scoffer: salt is salt, right? 

Now I am a born-again convert to Colima sea salt, which is a slightly moist, slightly sweet coarse-grain salt harvested on the western coast of Mexico.  The flavor is far superior to any other salt I've tried.

And a kilo bag of it is only 10 pesos ($1.00 USD).  It's sold everywhere near its points of production, including along the side of the roads in the area.  I'm at the end of a portion of a kilo that was given to me by friends and am about ready to break open a new bag.

Andie, if I had a way to send you some, I would.  Your pictures are marvelous, thank you for posting them.

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I have some of the Colima salt. My next-door neighbors are from Mexico and when he goes down on a fishing trip (for tuna and dorado) he brings back various things, including the 5-kilo bags that are made of some kind of natural fiber that is sort of silky feeling. I save the bags. I have also used this salt for pickles and it is excellent. Have you seen those bags and do you know what they are made of? My neighbor asked and was told it was "banana fiber" but that doesn't sound feasible.

[fatmat]

I used to keep fleur de sel, and waxed lyrical about it's wonders, until one day I pondered on whether I could really distinguish it's superiority... I concluded that it is a little like the emperor's new clothes.

[PCL]

Bux mentioned grinding salt at the table, but most of the contributions here seem to mention only fine or flaked crystals. Does grinding coarse salt make a difference? I don't think so. This is how I got to this conclusion:

Bought a canister of Baleine and got the medium grain product instead. Realised when I got home.

Instead of returning it, I resolved to use it for 'in-cooking' use, meaning dissolving into foods, deep seasoning, pasta water etc.

Ground some up in mortar and pestle and used it to roast a chook.

Bright idea!

Got another chook a couple days later, spatchcocked it. Salted one half with ground salt, and another half with Maldon for the crunch.

Could taste no difference apart from crunch and no crunch.

Repeated with finger test of Baleine fine, Maldon, and Baleine medium.

Medium actually tasted saltier i think, once crunched with teeth.

[hhlodesign]

Some of the more interesting salts I have are:

1. Italian truffle salt. It's italian sea salt sprinkled with bits of crushed black truffles. Amazing taste and smell.

2. Ultra Fine Korean sea salt. Feels like very fine sand and has an very intense salt flavor (extra surface area per volume)

3. Korean Sea salt infused with green tea leaves.

4. Japanese salt from water harvested from the bottem of some deep trench off the coast of Japan.

[Ms Neato]

The two salt pigs by my stove have Sel de Guerende and Maldon sea salt; there are jars of smoked sea salt and black salt lurking on the spice rack; and there's a bag of iodised table salt which gets used for soaking achy-feet (:

Don't have any kosher salt, though - it's something that I haven't ever seen for sale over here, in New Zealand.

[Wolfert]

The two salt pigs by my stove have Sel de Guerende and Maldon sea salt;  there are jars of smoked sea salt and black salt lurking on the spice rack;  and there's a bag of iodised table salt which gets used for soaking achy-feet (:

Don't have any kosher salt,  though - it's something that I haven't ever seen for sale over here,  in New Zealand.

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What do you use for pickling or salting?

Note the differences in weight between common salts in the US marketplace.

* 1 tablespoon fine table salt equals 21 grams

*1 tablespoon Morton kosher salt equals 17 grams

* 1 tablespoon imported Maldon sea salt equals 14 grams

* 1 tablespoon Diamond Crystal coarse kosher salt and imported Grey Sea Salt from the Ile de Re equals 12 grams

Edited December 14, 2005 by Wolfert (log)

[Ken]

Interesting to see the big difference in weight. That's why it's so important to weigh ingredients when baking.

I use Diamond kosher for everyday cooking. I switched from plain old Mortons about 12 years ago because all of my young cooks were so used to working with it. It took me a while to adjust and that highlights an important point. So much of "salting" is done by feel that it's important to use one you're comfortable with consistently. There are many good affordable "everyday" salts. Regardless of the one you use, if you salt wisely, your food will be delicious.

There is a time and place for fancy salts. Fleur de sel or Maldon salt is perfect sprinkled on sliced tomatoes. We sprinkle our unsalted table butter with a little fleur de sel before serving, the sweet salty contrast and crunch is very satisfying. I also get a smoked sea salt from The Organic Smokehouse in England. It has a very subtle smoke flavor with a good crunchy flake. It's terrific sprinkled on sliced roast meats. I like to sneak a little in when cooking dried beans for vegetarian dishes as it adds a smoky "bacon like" note they usually miss out on.

[andiesenji]

Here I am, bumping up yet another topic because of something seen in the newest NapaStyle catalog.

Note the extensive selections of (somewhat pricey) salts. However, some are rather neat, with the containers included with a selection of "rare and unusual salts" from around the world.

Salts and containers.

After all, only 88 shopping days till Christmas (I think!)

[cupbaker]

I am wondering what kind of salt does everyone use on a daily basis? Portugal has so many chunky sea salts, but everytime I use, I oversalt because the grains are so large, bigger than old-fashioned ice cream salt. Normally I just use kosher salt as an everyday salt.

[OliverB]

Diamond Chrystal Kosher as every day salt, a collection of specialty salts for finishing/decoration (black salts, red salts, smoked salt, things like that)

For day to day use you want something consistent and it's probably best to stick with one brand.

[imanalienchef]

I have found most salts are like olive oil. There are thousands of kinds and varieties but for the most part many of them taste similar. Now for a real treat besides larger crystals of expensive seea salts try Smoked salts. MMMMMM.... I have a secialty store near that has a salt bar or like a deli counter with about 15 different salts from around the world in bulk. They pour them in individual bins and sell them only by one pound on up. Love it. Grill any good steak and them when you serve it place a pat of butter or whatever you like for more flavor on top and then sprinkle with a good chunky smoked salt- like smoked alderwood or my favorite..Hickory smoked salt. Delicious. You will never see steak in the same light again. Enjoy....!!!

Edited March 1, 2009 by imanalienchef (log)

[andiesenji]

Napa Style has added some new specialty salts to their collection.

Also Salt Traders.com has added a bunch of new salts and blended salts to their inventory. They are my favorite online salt vendor and I simply love the "Sagemary" salt blend especially for vegetables.

I steamed some mixed fingerling potatoes last night and used only a tiny amount of butter and the Sagemary salt to dress them. Absolutely perfect.

I've also used it on chicken before braising and did not have to add any more salt or other seasoning at the finish.

[andiesenji]

I posted on March 1 about some new offerings from Salt Traders. Following that I placed an order and got some of the Curry Sugar.

Wow, is this stuff good, I have sprinkled it on rice, toast, oatmeal cookies and other applications which I don't recall. I am using it up so rapidly I just placed an order for more. A lot more!

Read about it in this blog - The Salty Dog

and note that during this month Salt Traders is offering a 10% discount. Not a bad deal.

I know some people feel that salt is salt and see no need for the stuff with the fancy prices, but I am a bit of a fanatic about salt and love the various blends and I can certainly discriminate between the various "flavors" - or I like to think I can.

The pepper/salt combinations are very nice and work well in most pepper grinders but I am personally using them only in grinders with ceramic "works" because I don't trust the salt not to have an effect on metal gears and such. (This constitutes the proverbial "word to the wise" from me.)

By the way, they have a link to Didi Davis' store and that store has a spicy mustard oil for cooking. I know there has been discussion in another thread about mustard oil but can't find it offhand. If interested, check it out.

Edited March 12, 2009 by andiesenji (log)

[prasantrin]

When subbing for specific salts in recipes, is there a guide to use?

for example, I want to make salted fudge brownies, and the recipe calls for 1/2 teaspoon Maldon sea salt. I haven't found any in my area, so I'm going to have to use what I have.

My choices are:

morton kosher salt

fine sea salt (penzey's)

coarse sea salt (penzey's)

I'm guessing 1/2 tsp kosher salt would be OK, or maybe 3/4 tsp coarse sea salt?? (I read Maldon's is saltier than regular salt, I'm guessing I should use more regular salt??).

[nickrey]

For my daily salt, I use sea salt from the Trapani Salt Pans by Vincenzo Gucciardo.

This is an Egullet friendly link on Amazon.

The taste reminds me of beachside holidays when I was young (in Australia, not Sicily).

[andiesenji]

Here's my current supply of various salts. No duplications.

These do not include my "regular" kosher salt (Diamond Crystal) and pickling salt, both purchased in large containers.

[Anna N]

When subbing for specific salts in recipes, is there a guide to use? 

for example, I want to make salted fudge brownies, and the recipe calls for 1/2 teaspoon Maldon sea salt.  I haven't found any in my area, so I'm going to have to use what I have. 

My choices are:

morton kosher salt

fine sea salt (penzey's)

coarse sea salt (penzey's)

I'm guessing 1/2 tsp kosher salt would be OK, or maybe 3/4 tsp coarse sea salt??  (I read Maldon's is saltier than regular salt, I'm guessing I should use more regular salt??).

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Try this.

The chart is missing Diamond Crystal Salt which is usually given as 2 parts Diamond Crystal is equal to 1 part table salt.

[prasantrin]

Try this.

The chart is missing Diamond Crystal Salt which is usually given as 2 parts Diamond Crystal is equal to 1 part table salt.

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Perfect! I had looked on Maldon's website, but didn't find a thing. Thanks!

[slkinsey]

When subbing for specific salts in recipes, is there a guide to use? 

for example, I want to make salted fudge brownies, and the recipe calls for 1/2 teaspoon Maldon sea salt.  I haven't found any in my area, so I'm going to have to use what I have. 

My choices are:

morton kosher salt

fine sea salt (penzey's)

coarse sea salt (penzey's)

I'm guessing 1/2 tsp kosher salt would be OK, or maybe 3/4 tsp coarse sea salt??  (I read Maldon's is saltier than regular salt, I'm guessing I should use more regular salt??).

I'm guessing that this recipe calls for the salt to be sprinkled on the top of the brownies? If not, it would be a tremendous waste of Maldon salt, since sea salts differ primarily due to their shape.

Maldon salt is a particularly coarse (i.e., not dense) salt that forms into fairly large flakes of salt as opposed to the typical "chunk" or "pebble" shape of most salts. This is why it may be described as "saltier" than other salts. Not because 5 grams of Maldon salt dissolved into a cup of water would make the water taste saltier than 5 grams of kosher salt dissolved into a cup of water -- but because when you put a flake of Maldon salt on your tongue, it dissolves onto your tongue almost instantly, whereas a chunkier piece of salt will take longer to dissolve. So, with the Maldon salt, you taste all the salt all at once.

Anyway, if your recipe calls for sprinkling the surface of the brownies with Maldon salt, you should choose the most coarse salt you have in order to give some kind of textural interest. If you use Morton's (relatively fine) kosher salt or a fine sea salt (which IMO tends to be pretty useless anyway), you won't get this effect. So you should use the coarse sea salt, and I would use it in approximately the same amount as you would use Maldon salt. Certainly you wouldn't want to use more of any other type of salt, because this would almost certainly result in putting more salt on the brownies than the recipe calls for.

[prasantrin]

Anyway, if your recipe calls for sprinkling the surface of the brownies with Maldon salt, you should choose the most coarse salt you have in order to give some kind of textural interest.  If you use Morton's (relatively fine) kosher salt or a fine sea salt (which IMO tends to be pretty useless anyway), you won't get this effect.  So you should use the coarse sea salt, and I would use it in approximately the same amount as you would use Maldon salt.  Certainly you wouldn't want to use more of any other type of salt, because this would almost certainly result in putting more salt on the brownies than the recipe calls for.

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Thanks for the info on Maldon.

The recipe calls for sprinkling the salt on the batter and swirling it in. I found another salt in my cupboards--coarse sel de guerande. From your advice, I think this would probably be the best salt to use--it has relatively large uneven granules, so it would provide that textural interest you mention.

I'll test it out this weekend! Thanks again!

[dougal]

...

Maldon salt is a particularly coarse (i.e., not dense) salt that forms into fairly large flakes of salt as opposed to the typical "chunk" or "pebble" shape of most salts.  This is why it may be described as "saltier" than other salts.  Not because 5 grams of Maldon salt dissolved into a cup of water would make the water taste saltier than 5 grams of kosher salt dissolved into a cup of water -- but because when you put a flake of Maldon salt on your tongue, it dissolves onto your tongue almost instantly, whereas a chunkier piece of salt will take longer to dissolve.  So, with the Maldon salt, you taste all the salt all at once.

Anyway, if your recipe calls for sprinkling the surface of the brownies with Maldon salt, you should choose the most coarse salt you have in order to give some kind of textural interest.  ...

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Just to clarify, Maldon is composed of THIN THIN THIN flakes of salt.

I wouldn't call it "coarse", or suggest substituting a coarse (chunky) salt.

[patriotic]It is of course quite unique.[/patriotic]

I ought to make plain that I do absolutely agree with slkinsey that the 'point' of Maldon flakes is that you get each tiny amount of salt "all at once", whereas with chunky crystals, they take ages to dissolve and so produce a much longer sensation.

Its a pretentious bit of conspicuous consumption to use Maldon flakes completely dissolved in water for cooking - for example boiled potatoes. But I'm afraid you will find that sort of thing in many published recipes!

My suspicion is that the aim in this recipe would be small bursts of saltiness, (rather than hidden tooth breakers!)

Hence my suggestion would be fleur du sel or a relatively fine salt as alternatives.

As to quantity, volume measures - particularly of specific salt morphologies - are bloody awkward when you can't get that product. But I'm delighted that it should be an English product pointing this up to the US market! (Kosher salt and Diamond Crystal are unknown in these parts.)

Maldon isn't dense at all. Its positively fluffy.

So half a teaspoon of Maldon is (as a rough guesstimate) going to contain as much actual salt as maybe a quarter teaspoon of table salt.

I don't have any Maldon on my shelf at the moment, but I'll get some today and do some weighing this evening.

[dougal]

...

Maldon isn't dense at all. Its positively fluffy.

So half a teaspoon of Maldon is (as a rough guesstimate) going to contain as much actual salt as maybe a quarter teaspoon of table salt.

I don't have any Maldon on my shelf at the moment, but I'll get some today and do some weighing this evening.

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OK, finally the results are in.

Taking the same volume measure (a measuring spoon) ...

10 measures of Maldon weighed 91 grams

5 measures of fine grained, utterly ordinary, table salt weighed 111.5 grams

(So, my guesstimate was close. Well, fairly close.)

And 10 measures of my coarse (and somewhat hygroscopic) sel gris weighed 150 grams

If the recipe calls for half a teaspoon of Maldon, and you sub a quarter teaspoon of table salt, your sub will still be using 22% more actual salt than the recipe expects.

And substituting the same volume measure of a coarse grained salt in place of Maldon, could mean that you were increasing the salt content by over 50% compared to the original recipe.

Maldon is very fluffy!

And, weight-for-weight, expensive for salt, even in England; £1.86 (roughly $3) for 250g (just over half a pound).

I am very confident that the accuracy of the scale used is rather better than 1 gram.

I used multiple measures to average out variations between individual spoonfuls.

So I feel the results are pretty credible - for the specific salts measured.

Incidentally (and irrelevant to all the above) 10 measures of my 'standard 15 ml tablespoon' of water weighed 139 grams -- so its more like 13.9 ml in reality.