Seasoning Food

[507bhp]

Generally, how do you folks season your food? Obviously I'm talking about good old salt and pepper. I feel many people misunderstand the importance of good seasoning relating to flavour, but am also aware of potential health risks from excess sodium intake.

Your thoughts on the matter??

[bazking69]

Loads of cracked black pepper, easy on or no salt at all.

[homicide]

Depends on what im cooking/eating, but for me, either salt or maggi seasoning if eating, and recently i spilt a little paprika on some meat whilst making a beef stew!Was tasty to say the least!!!

[Don]

Unless I need the salt to perform some task during cooking I do not salt food at all. I use pepper in the same way as I use any of the other spices - when the recipe calls for it.

On the salt thing - this is because I have a very, very, VERY high tolerance for saltiness. Honestly if I seasoned food so I liked it no-one else could possibly eat it.

So I cook without - and add what I want personally afterwards - unless the recipe demands it.

[homicide]

Agree with the above

[Shaw Tarse]

How about "hidden seasonining"? eg,
chocolate in chilli.
Anchovies in roast lamb?

[grumbledoak]

Almost no salt ever at home. I'll use plenty of herbs, spices, flavourings, etc. but I leave the salt to eating out.

[The Dude]

My new favourite thing for seasoning is lemon juice. To the right dish it doesn't half lift the flavours.

Nothing wrong with good old salt & pepper though, just use at the right time in the cooking process and use moderation with the salt.

[Watch-Collector]

Interesting to use fish sauce/ soy etc to give the extra zing without the need for salt. Decent sea salt is ok its like anything used in moderation..

[smiller]

grumbledoak said:

Almost no salt ever at home. I'll use plenty of herbs, spices, flavourings, etc. but I leave the salt to eating out.

Yuss

[neilsfishing]

Watch-Collector said:

Interesting to use fish sauce/ soy etc to give the extra zing without the need for salt. Decent sea salt is ok its like anything used in moderation..

Soy is full of salt

[Big Rumbly]

Usually a small grind of sea salt, and add to taste at end, I tend to cook with black pepper, but normally prefer ground white to season at end.

[TIGA84]

Must must must use salt when cooking!!!!!!

Never season at the end, unless you are Don the Salt Monster.

Always use to balance and enhance flavours.

Season as you go along, then you wont add any at the end of cooking, plus a lot of it will have cooked out.

If you dont agree, buy a steak, cut it in half, season one side generously, leave the other unseasoned, then cook both exactly the same.

Yo be the judge when you eat it.

[Coq au Vin]

TIGA84 said:

Must must must use salt when cooking!!!!!!

Never season at the end, unless you are Don the Salt Monster.

Always use to balance and enhance flavours.

Season as you go along, then you wont add any at the end of cooking, plus a lot of it will have cooked out.

If you dont agree, buy a steak, cut it in half, season one side generously, leave the other unseasoned, then cook both exactly the same.

Yo be the judge when you eat it.

Yes, yes and yes again. Salt is a vital ingredient in pretty much everything.

Salt is not the enemy that humourless health-food nutters will have you believe. Nobody died from seasoning good food properly.

[507bhp]

Coq au Vin said:

TIGA84 said:

Must must must use salt when cooking!!!!!!

Never season at the end, unless you are Don the Salt Monster.

Always use to balance and enhance flavours.

Season as you go along, then you wont add any at the end of cooking, plus a lot of it will have cooked out.

If you dont agree, buy a steak, cut it in half, season one side generously, leave the other unseasoned, then cook both exactly the same.

Yo be the judge when you eat it.

Yes, yes and yes again. Salt is a vital ingredient in pretty much everything.

Salt is not the enemy that humourless health-food nutters will have you believe. Nobody died from seasoning good food properly.

[Scraggles]

use salt if needed on the end product, never in cooking, I do put 1/2 tsp into a small loaf but that is about it

pepper mix is either pre-ground for use in pots, or fresh cracked - red, white, green and black

or maybe some grains of paradise or long pepper

herbs as and where needed, fruit juice is great, such as thin slivers of lemon in with the spicy honeyed mushrooms ?

[Coq au Vin]

Scraggles said:

use salt if needed on the end product, never in cooking, I do put 1/2 tsp into a small loaf but that is about it

If I have to put salt on food I get in a restaurant, I consider the chef to be a failure.

My bread gets a solid 2 tsp in a normal sized loaf for that is the amount that makes it most delicious. I even use a small pinch when baking with chocolate.

[Zeek]

Coq au Vin said:

Scraggles said:

use salt if needed on the end product, never in cooking, I do put 1/2 tsp into a small loaf but that is about it

If I have to put salt on food I get in a restaurant, I consider the chef to be a failure.

My bread gets a solid 2 tsp in a normal sized loaf for that is the amount that makes it most delicious. I even use a small pinch when baking with chocolate.

Salt is essential is bread making for creating the crust.

I use sea salt. Try making scrambled eggs with and without salt in them!

[507bhp]

Scraggles said:

use salt if needed on the end product, never in cooking, I do put 1/2 tsp into a small loaf but that is about it

pepper mix is either pre-ground for use in pots, or fresh cracked - red, white, green and black

or maybe some grains of paradise or long pepper

herbs as and where needed, fruit juice is great, such as thin slivers of lemon in with the spicy honeyed mushrooms ?

If that's the case you're not using it properly. Why don't you ever use it during cooking?

[507bhp]

Coq au Vin said:

Scraggles said:

use salt if needed on the end product, never in cooking, I do put 1/2 tsp into a small loaf but that is about it

If I have to put salt on food I get in a restaurant, I consider the chef to be a failure.

My bread gets a solid 2 tsp in a normal sized loaf for that is the amount that makes it most delicious. I even use a small pinch when baking with chocolate.

I cooked for my parents on Saturday night - the salt / pepper pot was not offered and was not needed as the food was seasoned correctly to start with.

Cooking without salt is like having sherry trifle without the sherry!

Yes I can see if you're a processed food nut and you have no idea how liberal some zombie has been on a production line when adding salt, but when you can control it when you cook from scratch, use it, it makes no sense not to!