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June Market Report
Saltus Maximus
 Roman
conquests, Prosciutto di Parma, disappearing houses in Victorian
England, Roquefort cheese. The common denominator? Salt. Roman
armies crossed land and sea for it because Roman aristocrat
and commoner alike demanded it. It was so highly valued that
Rome’s soldiers were even paid with sacks of it; our word
“salary” is rooted in the Latin word for salt, “salarium”.
While we’re discussing salt’s etymology, we should mention
that our word “salad” comes from “salted” in Latin. Yes, so
fond of their “salary” were Caesar’s subjects that they fancied
sprinkling it over their fresh greens. The English pursued
it with such zeal that over a couple of centuries whole neighborhoods
in Cheshire were nearly swallowed up by sink holes as the
salt was mined from underneath. And, of course, salt is the
key ingredient in Italy’s famous ham from Parma and France’s
best known blue cheese.
What is it about salt? How does this one
ingredient find its way into foods as diverse as steak, bread,
cheese, and sauces of every kind? Why was it harvested in
India some 5,000 years ago, and why do we still crave it?
Reasons abound. For example, salt is an excellent natural
preservative. Salt draws out impurities. Salt is abundant
and fairly inexpensive. But perhaps the biggest reason for
salt’s reign is simply that salt is an unequaled flavor enhancer.
When you salt a juicy fillet of beef before grilling it or
add salt to the salad that you just drizzled with olive oil,
you are not changing the flavors of those dishes so much as
you are amplifying them. With salt, existing flavors are given
depth. The flavor is expanded. That is why a salted steak
is more savory. An olive oil with a little added salt—brighter,
more complex. Salted cheese is richer. In fact, making flavorful
cheese without salt is nearly impossible.
Salt makes food—and eating, better. I learned
this lesson well a few years ago in Paris at Le Cordon Bleu
cooking school, where we daily utilized high-end sea salt
in nearly every dish. I think you will find that these techniques
will serve to greatly improve the flavor of your dishes. One
is to always lightly salt a piece of meat just before cooking.
This seasoning process locks in the flavor of the meat while
it cooks, and imparts the exponential flavor magic we just
spoke of. Say you are going to grill a Coleman steak or shiny
piece of fresh Alaskan Copper River salmon. Get the meat out
of the fridge ahead
of time, say 15 to 30 minutes before grilling, to allow it
to warm up a bit. This step is to avoid “shocking” the meat
from cold fridge to hot grill. Just before grilling, salt
it, (at this point, you may also add a bit of fresh ground
pepper, and I always drizzle a little extra- virgin olive
oil) then grill to perfection. How about vegetables? Instead
of salting them at the dinner table, try this: dissolve the
salt in the water early on as you bring it to a gentle boil,
before adding the vegetables. (The only exception being potatoes.
If you salt these too early, they disintegrate.) The early
salting of the water, in effect, allows you to boil your green
beans or carrots or what have you in salt water, which infuses
the salt into the vegetables. When you remove the veggies
after a few minutes of boiling, immediately put them in ice
water for a few seconds to refresh them before serving. Then,
if you like, stir in a bit of extra-virgin olive oil, or heat
them again for just a minute stirring in a pat of butter.
A third thing I learned was to salt sauces, gravies, stocks,
etc. as you cook and reduce, the goal being to have the salt
completely dissolve, enhancing flavor evenly. How much salt
you use is up to you. Taste as you go. Trust your palate.
Salt is the enhancer, not the main attraction. But when you
use your salt properly, your cooking will be the star of the
show.
If you look for it, you will find salt in
cuisines in just about every part of the world. And, as you
may imagine, salts do vary widely in flavor. Many of the best
salts come from sea water evaporation. Remember the last time
you visited the beach and gulped a mouthful of sea water by
mistake? That super-intense saltiness, when harvested, makes
some of the best salt. The fleur de sel harvested off France’s
Brittany coast has its uniquely prized, delicate flavor; Sicily’s
salt has its following for its pure, clean flavor; and many
chefs favor England’s famous sea salt flakes from Maldon.
Salt is yet another interesting and pleasurable area of gastronomy
to discover. Buy a couple different ones and experiment. Be
sure, at the very least, to incorporate a good salt whenever
you grill out this summer. We promise you lots of fun and
flavor.
- La Baleine Sea Salt from France’s Mediterranean coast
26.5 oz $2.49 save up to 36¢
- Maldon Sea Salt from England 8.5 oz $2.95 save up to
50¢
- Ravida Sea Salt from Sicily 18 oz $7.99 save up to
$1.50
- M. Gilles Hervy Fluer de Sel 5.4 oz $9.99 save up to
$2.00
Prices herein are valid through June 30,
2002. In the event of a typographical error, in-store prices
will prevail. All sale items are limit five with Club DLM
card.
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Bakery
