Salt timing
Early, late, or layered — and always with the protein in mind.
Salt is the most argued-about ingredient in the kitchen. The fight is not over how much, but when: dry-brine the night before, season the water, finish at the table, or layer at every step. The answer changes by dish, by cut, by context.
“Pecorino Romano alone has an assertive flavor, which is why I and many others like to cut it with the sweeter, fruitier flavor of Parmigiano-Reggiano. I use equal parts of each and whisk them into the eggs and yolks in a mixing bowl, along with plenty of coarsely ground black pepper.”
Spaghetti With Carbonara Sauce Recipe — Serious Eats (2015)
Julia Child's preferred scrambled egg in Mastering the Art of French Cooking is cooked low and patient — over a double boiler if you have one — and stirred almost continuously. The reward is the smallest curd and the creamiest set; the cost is that there is no fast version of it. · paraphrased
Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Vol. I — Knopf (1961)“…you want a ripple of white and yellow throughout…”
Anthony Bourdain: The Best Way to Cook Scrambled Eggs — Tech Insider / The Independent (2017)
“Flipping your steak often during grilling or pan-searing will result in the best, most evenly cooked meat.”
Flip Your Steaks Multiple Times for Better Results — The Food Lab — Serious Eats (2013)
“The third requirement is salting the bird at least 24 hours in advance. This improves flavor, keeps it moist, and makes it tender.”
Zuni Roast Chicken with Bread Salad — The Zuni Café Cookbook / Epicurious (2002)Michael Ruhlman's case for the wet brine in Ratio: salt and water in defined proportion produce the most forgiving bird for the average home cook — harder to overcook, more uniformly seasoned, less reliant on planning the night before. · paraphrased
Ratio — Scribner (2009)
Michael Ruhlman's Ratio: pizza dough is a baker's percentage problem, not a recipe to be memorised. By weight, not volume; cup measurements ruin more pizza than bad ovens. · paraphrased
Ratio — Scribner (2009)
Ottolenghi's published technique for the smoothest possible texture — peeling each cooked chickpea, or using enough baking soda to slough the skins off in the cooking water — works, but is the sort of effort most home cooks should consider optional. · paraphrased
Hummus | Ottolenghi Recipes — ottolenghi.co.uk