A light sprinkling of salt on your comforting, mellow, bowl full of ice cream? My grandmother would be aghast. That doesn't mean I didn't immediately try it and love it, after my conversation with Mark Bitterman.
Mark and his wife, Jennifer, own The Meadow in Portland, Oregon and just opened up a sister shop in the West Village in New York City. Mark recently authored the intensely thorough tome, Salted—a veritable encyclopedia of the origins, uses, technologies, and customs of that ingredient we all use and might not think much of.
While talking and tasting with Mark, I realized my salt habit (my friends jokingly call me a horse!) would be forever changed. Never again could I go back to the sad paper canister in navy blue packaging, hiding in the back of my pantry. Without further ado, here are Mark's wise words on salting.
The above photo is Austin, Mark and Jen's adorable older son, holding a plate of baguette smeared with goat cheese sprinkled with cacao nibs and Cyprus Black Flake sea salt.
Mark Bitterman's Simple Truths about Salt
Salt calls attention to flavors already existing in food. This is where salting your ice-cream cone comes into play— with a light sprinkling of salt, the flavors of the vanilla bean and cream really shine. This combination elicits a little dance of sweet and savory. You don't have to salt everything you eat, but it is fun to salt foods that don't usually call for this addition.
Salt is the most localized food on Earth. Like wine, salt can have a 'terroir' and 'merrier,' nuances specific to the place it comes from. It always has distinctive crystals, and it is this unique character of theirs that calls on us to think critically and creatively about salting. Use salt in a way that respects its differentness and your food will shine with newfound flavor.
Some foods add salty flavor without salt. I don't use salt with everything -- for example, I use pancetta, soy sauce or salt-cured lemons -- these foods add so much flavor and saltiness without the addition of salt in its mineral form.
Finishing salts are affordable. A finishing salt is used towards the end of the cooking process as well as at the table for final seasoning. You need a mere sprinkle of these extraordinary salts to make a huge impact on your food. So, you may pay more than you're used to up front, but you use much less, with fantastic results.
Salt inspires and connects. Because salt is so basic, it encompasses everything and everyone. I can speak to celebrated chefs about a new and fantastic salt or talk to the guy next to me at the coffee shop—both people have a connection or use for salt and it's always inspiring to share in that conversation.
Mark and Austin at a book–signing in Portland.
• Visit The Meadow (salt, chocolate, wine and flower shop): The Meadow
• Mark Bitterman's Book: Salted: A Manifesto on the World's Most Essential Mineral, with Recipes, $22.43 at Amazon
Related: Sea Salt. Kosher Salt. Crazy Expensive Salt: What's the Deal?
(Images: Leela Cyd Ross)
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having just come back from a wonderful trip to Peru, I couldn't agree more!
we tasted the pink salt from Salineras de Maras, a wonderful yet somewhat not-known salt pan site.
a quilo is now resting at my cabinets!
the Meadow is responsible for my religious ice cream experience: they sell cups of vanilla ice cream dusted with chunks of smoked salt during the Mississippi Street Fair.
Best Thing Ever.
The salt creates a caramel flavor with the vanilla.
Now I can't not salt my ice cream.
Actually... I don't think our grandparents would be that aghast. I know a few older person who salt their fruit and other sweets. And in the third season of Mad Men, there was a scene where grandpa Gene salted every spoonful of ice cream before he took a bite.
http://nymag.com/daily/entertainment/2009/09/grandpa_genes_salt_tooth_expla.html
Very interesting. Any chance you could give us a good start list of finishing salts?
Great piece. I am a huge fan of salt of all kinds. They really add something special to the dish.
I'd read about The Meadow somewhere and made sure to stop in while I was visiting friends in Portland this summer. What a fantastic shop!
Although I was already pretty familiar with the various varieties of finishing salt; I added a few to my collection (chocolate, chardonnay-smoked and black Hawaiian).
Wow, they hide their street addresses well! I looked and looked all over their site and couldn't find their locations. Don't they want visitors?
Please ignore my previous post. They have a little "contact" button at the bottom of the page that gives the addresses.
Arg...I keep reading his name as Mark Bittman.
I discovered the joy of salting ice cream last summer when I was overcome by a craving for salted strawberry ice cream. It made the flavors sing... however, it also terrified my significant other into thinking I might be pregnant. So, salt carefully!
http://encarta.msn.com/dictionary_561593915/without_further_ado.html
Hehe, Mona_asi, I just scrolled to the bottom of the comments to point that out as well, and then I saw your post.
Ugh, this kind of thing annoys me so much. People who write for a living, please know that we pedants judge you mercilessly when you do this kind of thing!
the Meadow is so fun to visit, I'm really glad to see a post about this wonderful shop. and the book is superbly written... maldon is my favorite, which gets a very nice review in the book.
oh and RosieGreenie is being a tad picky, if i may say so.
Black lava salt:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_lava_salt
In my December 15 interview with Mark Blocks, Rocks, Sprinkled, 'Salted' Afternoon Talk with Mark Bitterman on 'Serge the Concierge', I asked him to recommend salts for various uses and dishes which might answer some of the questions asked by readers in comments here.
Please note, Mark is a 'selmelier'...
Serge
'The French Guy from New Jersey'
Twitter: @theconcierge
I had no idea The Meadow was here in PDX! Heading there straight away. LOVE finishing salts. I've been salting my holiday ginger cookies with Alder smoked. Big hit!
Happy New Year!
@LNTYRRELL - If you've never used Finishing salt before, we recommend starting with our Salt Starter Set, which will let you use a wide variety of salt, and it also comes with a guide to walk you through how to use each salt. Our Meadow Fleur de Sel is another all-around good cooking salt as well.