Seasoning can make or break your meal. If you use too little seasoning, your food will be completely tasteless and may be impossible to consume. On the other hand, if you use too much seasoning, you will end up with an overwhelming meal that will also be impossible to consume.
Getting the right amount and the right combination of ingredients is the key to an excellent meal. In this guide, we will look at a few seasoning tips to make sure you perfect your palette.
1. Understand the Different Types of Salt
Salt is the most commonly used ingredient in the kitchen, and when used properly, it can take your dish to the next level. Lots of people don’t know that there are many different types of salt. They have unique colors, tastes, textures, and uses.
Kosher salt is the most popular type of salt among professional chefs, and it is known for its ability to draw blood from a piece of meat. Its coarse nature makes it ideal for the koshering process, which is the drawing of blood from meat. These characteristics make it quite useful in seasoning your wagyu beef. It is worth noting that Kosher salt lacks metallic or bitter-tasting notes and instead offers a cleaner flavor.
For a more complex flavor profile, you can use sea salt. There are further classifications of sea salt, and these include smoked salt, Hawaiian salt, and Celtic salt. Rock salt is also commonly used to cure and remove toxins from meat, and it comes in many types. These include Himalayan salt and curing salt.
2. Follow Spice Blends Recipes
It is possible to buy spice blends from the store, but making your own can ensure consistency in your recipes. Mixing the spices correctly can make a great difference in the taste of your foods.
A simple way to make sure your spice blends are perfect is to follow spice blends recipes. You can adjust these recipes over time as you learn your preferences. As an example, when mixing seasoning for tacos, you should combine chili powder, cumin, black pepper, paprika, garlic powder, and other spices.
It is advisable to always get whole spices and grind them up before adding them to the mix. For the storage of the spices, you will need clear glass jars with tight-fitting lids. Otherwise, they might not stay fresh for long. You should also get a coffee grinder, labels, and a funnel.
3. Season the Food from High Up
Professional chefs always season their food from high up. This isn’t just because it looks cooler; it also ensures that the spices are distributed evenly across the food. If you follow this tip, you won’t end up over-seasoning one section of the meal by accident. This method is especially important when seasoning steak as such foods benefit significantly from even seasoning.
You should note that seasoning from a distance can also improve the way your food cooks as you will not need to stir as much to distribute the seasoning.
4. Note that Colder Foods Need More Seasoning than Hot Foods
Chilling foods can dull the flavor and aroma of the meal, and you will have to compensate with the addition of more seasoning. As an example, when seasoning your salad, you will have to add more spices to improve the flavor. If you need to chill your food, make sure you season it adequately before chilling it. Once it is chilled, you can then add more seasoning and serve the meal.
5. Don’t Neglect Acid
Acid is often overlooked when cooking, but it can make a major difference in the flavor of your meals. It can elevate the existing flavors in the foods and can help to balance out the meal. If you notice that your foods still taste flat after adding salt, you should try using lemon, vinegar, or wine to finish the seasoning. White wine is often preferred to red wine because of its clean flavor and color.
Conclusion
Cooking can be an interesting activity, and seasoning is a major part of it. To make sure you season your foods perfectly, you have to follow a few tips.
First, try to understand the different types of salt. You should also season your food from above to ensure proper distribution. You can follow blend recipes to adjust them to fit your tastes. Another thing you should do is add acid to balance out your meals. Finally, make sure you add more seasoning to colder foods as the lower temperatures dull the flavors and aromas of meals.