SALT. I really think salt might be the most important thing in the kitchen. Salt makes everything better - it enhances sweetness, it makes starches sing, it soothes bitterness - it's just the most amazing thing ever. My favorite basic salt which must always be in stock in our kitchen is Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt. It's heavier than Morton's and has a great feel in your fingers. I rarely measure salt, to me it's an instinct, and the way the salt feels in one's fingers when cooking or finishing a dish is really important. It crushes and falls just the right way. You just can't do that with table salt. I have to have the 3 pound box at all times, and my go-to place to purchase it locally is North Market Poultry and Game. I think it's about $5 a box, and I couldn't live without it.
For whatever reason, I also have to have iodized table salt on hand for 2 things: eggs and popcorn. These 2 things have to have iodized salt for some reason (according to my palate alone, of course).
Of course, I also have a weakness for expensive sea salts. Probably my 3 are:
Maldon - this pyramid crystal shaped salt is intensely salty and comes from Essex, in England. It is very crunchy, making it a perfect finishing salt for steaks.
Fleur du Sel - is a hand-harvested salt from France; it is scooped from the top of the salt flats; traditionally, women harvested this delicate salt while their husbands worked in the salt flats. This salt is said to have violet aromas. It has a soft consistency; the flakes are crunchy but small, making this a good finishing salt for more delicate preparations, such as salads.
Murray River Salt - hails from Australia. It is light as a feather, has a very alluring pink hue, and has crispy texture which Husband, upon trying it for the first time, declared "It's like Pop Rocks!" Murray River is great for finishing softer foods such as eggs. It is also great in butter. Actually all these salts are great in butter.
Things you should know about using salt in the kitchen:
- Water for boiling starches should be heavily salted. Starches have a hard time taking on seasoning once they're cooked. For this reason, salt should be added in good measure to pasta water and potato water (I probably use about 1/4 cup per 4 quarts of water). If the water is going to stay with the starch, such as rice, the water can be lightly salted (maybe 1 tsp per 2 cups).
- Brining makes everything better. Even if you don't use aromatics when brining, salt makes a huge difference in meats which tend to dry out when cooking, such as chicken, turkey, and lean pork. I probably use about 1/2 cup to a gallon of water. Place the salt in a vessel large enough to hold whatever meat you are using and add a few cups of hot water. Stir until the salt dissolves and then add cold water and your meat; add enough to cover the meat and store in a cold place. Rinse meat from brine and discard the brine. I like to brine things overnight, but even a 2 hour brine is better than nothing. Don't waste your money on expensive brines. Salt is cheap; there's no reason to overspend.
- A salt rub also makes everything better, especially red meat. This is Husband's trick, and it works really well. If you are cooking red meat, cover the meat liberally in a layer of salt and allow it to sit until it comes to room temperature (you always want to start meat out at room temperature), but no more than an hour. Right before cooking, rinse the meat and then dry it completely with paper towels. Proceed cooking as usual.
- Salt interferes with your ability to taste things which are bitter, making them seem sweeter. This makes things like bitter greens salads taste amazing when simply drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with salt. Salt is also great on grapefruit.
- Salt makes a good cooking medium. You can heat salt in a dry pan and roast dry things - such as nuts - in the pan. In many cultures, salt is mixed with egg whites to make a hard shell in which to cook fish. One of these days, I'm going to try that.