The Many Flavors of Salt. April 13, 2017.
Avocado and Radish Canapés with Smoked Salt
Combine the avocado and lemon juice in a small bowl, sprinkle with pepper, and mash roughly with a fork. Spoon onto the bread, season with a pinch of smoked salt, and top with half a radish. Serve immediately.
- 1 small ripe avocado (or half of a large one)
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- Freshly ground pepper
- 20 slices from a ficelle (a slim baguette) or a baguette
- Smoked salt
- 10 pink radishes, trimmed and halved
Combine the avocado and lemon juice in a small bowl, sprinkle with pepper, and mash roughly with a fork. Spoon onto the bread, season with a pinch of smoked salt, and top with half a radish. Serve immediately.
i left the lemon out of the recipe i used (courtesy of food & wine) in the hopes that we might be able to taste some of the pinot noir in the salt (results debatable), but otherwise followed the recipe, below. i used 2 pounds of potatoes, and only used about half of the herb salt, but i think we can all agree that i was a little heavy-handed with the salt.
-N
Salt-Roasted Fingerling Potatoes
2 large sage leaves, chopped
1 teaspoon chopped rosemary
1 teaspoon thyme leaves
1 tablespoon kosher salt
4 pounds fingerling potatoes, halved lengthwise
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Freshly ground pepper
Preheat the oven to 425°. In a mini food processor, pulse the sage, rosemary and thyme until finely chopped. Add the salt and pulse until finely ground. Transfer the herb salt to a small bowl.
In a large bowl, toss the potatoes with the oil and butter and season with pepper. Spread the potatoes in a single layer on 2 large rimmed baking sheets and roast for 25 minutes. Season the potatoes generously with the herb salt, toss well and continue baking for 5 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender and golden. Transfer to a bowl and serve hot or warm.
A Little Bonus Salt -
in the week following dinner club, i made these cookies, and in addition to following the recipe below, i made a little lime salt: i added the zest of an entire lime and 1-2 tsp of pinot noir salt to the food processor and processed until combined. after frosting the cookies, i sprinkled each one with a tiny pinch of lime salt - cuz i prefer a salted margarita! these are yum and i highly recommend them for a summer treat. :)
-N
Salted Margarita Cookies with Buttercream Frosting
Makes 2-3 dozen
For the Cookies:
3 T lime juice
1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup butter, softened to room temp.
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1 T tequila
1 T triple sec or orange liqueur
2 tsp. lime zest
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
Pinch of salt
For the Frosting:
1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup butter, softened to room temp
3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp. orange extract (or vanilla will work if that's what you've got)
1/4 cup lime juice
1 T tequila
For the Salt:
Zest of one lime
1-2 tsp. fine salt
To make the cookies:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
In a larger bowl, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg, then add the lime juice, zest, milk, and tequila; mix well. Add half of the flour mixture to the wet ingredients; mix until combined. Add the rest of the dry ingredients and mix until combined.
Drop tablespoonfuls of batter onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving a little space between each cookie. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Transfer to wire cooling racks and cool completely before frosting.
To make the frosting:
Cream together the shortening and butter. Add the sugar and beat until the mixture comes together well. Stir in the vanilla/orange extract, lime, and tequila, and beat until fluffy. Frost cookies with a generous amount of frosting.
To make the salt:
Combine lime zest and salt in a food processor. Sprinkle a small pinch on each frosted cookie.