4 Ways to Season Your Food Like A Top Chef

[Andy M.]

This may be of interest:

4 ways to season your food like a top chef – more salt, for starters - The Globe and Mail

 

[Rocket_J_Dawg]

Thanks Andy. Great article. I tend to shy away from salt when cooking and I always forget about lemon.

 

[taxlady]

Thanks for the link Andy. Interesting.

 

[Dawgluver]

Enjoyable read, thanks Andy!

 

[cave76]

Very good article! Thanks for the post. I try to stay away from too much salt so I can take less HPB meds but if I didn't have that caution in my life I'd certainly pour on more salt!

The other tips sound great too.

 

[taxlady]

I liked the info about salting at different stages of the cooking. I'll have to give that a try. We don't eat much processed food, so we don't get that salt.

 

[Cooking Goddess]

Nice find Andy - thanks. Interesting, too, that you should post this today. Lidia covered incremental salting at the beginning of her program on WGBH today, mentioning how you should portion out what you think you might need into a small bowl to dip from. That way you don't contaminate all your salt, and you have it at the ready to add when needed.

When I was reading the part about letting the salt fall from a height of about a foot all I could hear was Michael Symon's voice in my head saying "let it rain!" He and Mario Batali are fans of salting with style!

 

[CWS4322]

Nice find Andy - thanks. Interesting, too, that you should post this today. Lidia covered incremental salting at the beginning of her program on WGBH today, mentioning how you should portion out what you think you might need into a small bowl to dip from. That way you don't contaminate all your salt, and you have it at the ready to add when needed.

When I was reading the part about letting the salt fall from a height of about a foot all I could hear was Michael Symon's voice in my head saying "let it rain!" He and Mario Batali are fans of salting with style!

The chefs I've worked with always did the "season high" trick. I do the same.

 

[Andy M.]

Sprinkling k-salt from a height gives you a more even distribution of salt over the food.

I learned the incremental salting process years ago from endless hours of watching food shows.

I use a cheese shaker like this filled with kosher salt to make it easy:

 

[Cheryl J]

Thank you, Andy, I enjoyed the article. I've used K salt for years now and only have table salt for baking, which I don't do much of. I also agree with seasoning in stages, rather than at the very end...makes a world of difference in a dish.

I like your idea of using a shaker, such as you have. I have a tiny ramekin that I've been using, and keep it next to the peppermill and butter dish.

 

[GotGarlic]

Good article, Andy.

About seasoning from a height, it's important to do this, and sprinkle evenly, with all seasonings in all kinds of dishes. People often dump seasonings for, say, a tuna salad, in a pile on top of the food, which can create a pocket of seasoning that doesn't get mixed in evenly. So you get a bite of the food with a big hit of salt and pepper, etc., and other bites have no seasoning at all.

 

[Roll_Bones]

Sprinkling k-salt from a height gives you a more even distribution of salt over the food.

I learned the incremental salting process years ago from endless hours of watching food shows.

I use a cheese shaker like this filled with kosher salt to make it easy:

Great idea on the cheese shaker. Keep my fingers out and keep them clean.
I always salt and pepper (season) as I prepare the dish. I also had this drilled into me by TV chefs.
Emeril was one to season as he went. He even seasoned his water. Any added water for a savory dish.
Remember his quote.

"I don't know where you get your water, but mine don't come seasoned"

 

[Zagut]

I have a tiny ramekin that I've been using, and keep it next to the peppermill and butter dish.

Cheryl. Have you been in my kitchen?

Nice article. I'll never be a pro but it's nice to read what they think.

Height doesn't matter as much as coverage.

Seasoning as you go is good advice.

 

[GotGarlic]

Height doesn't matter as much as coverage.

It really does make a difference. Sprinkling from a foot or so higher than the food makes it fall more evenly. Give it a try.

 

[danbuter]

Great article!