Some years I’m all over Christmas… but most years I’m not.
Last year was definitely one of the latter years, but looking at how November is progressing I’m fist pumping at the universe because I’m dead on track to deliver Christmas joy all up in this place.
I’m not entirely sure why this is the case, but it might have something to to with a number of early requests I’ve had to create Christmas recipes for clients which has led to my own sense of urgency to do the same for Chew Town.
Each year I try and make food related gifts for friends (you may remember theseCandy Cane Meringuesfrom last year) but I’ve often found that demand usually outweighs supply and I’m usuallywishing I’d mademore gifts. So, this year, with early preparation and foresight, I’ve got Christmas gifts for friends sorted with48 80g jars of flavoured salts in four different flavours… Surely that will be enough.
Flavoured salts are officially my new favourite thing to make. This is largely because:flavour combinations are only limited by your imagination; they are very easy to make; and they elicit such joy from those on the receiving end who think they are harder to make than they actually are!
I had a list as long as my arm with flavours I wanted to try. And while I will slowly work through this list to bring you more great recipes, the four I chose to make first were:
- Bacon and Shiitake Mushroom Salt
- Roasted Garlic and Chilli Sauce Salt
- Red Wine and Rosemary Salt
- Coffee Salt
The recipes are all listed below, but I do recommend that you come up with your own flavour combinations tooas it is a lot of fun. To help with that, I can advise that flavoured salts will usually fall into one of two categories depending on the ingredients – the dry method, or the wet method.
THE DRY METHOD
The dry method is the simplest way of making flavoured salts (the Bacon and Shiitake Mushroom Salt was made in this way). Basically, you take dried ingredients and use a spice grinder to break them down into very small pieces to then combine withthe salt. You will either need to dry the ingredients in the oven yourself first (like bacon, herbs etc) or buy dried ingredients. This method does not require further time to dry the salt out once the flavour has been added. I use a finer sea salt for this method.
THE WET METHOD
If you try to flavour salt with liquid(wine, coffee etc) it will melt the salt, but syrups and condiments won’t due to their viscosity. So, condiments like chilli sauce can be added directly to the salt, but liquids will need to be simmered in a saucepan for around 20 minutes till it has formed a syrup, which can then be added to the salt and blended. Bear in mind though that when you simmer liquid to turn it into a syrup, the flavour intensifies significantly (which is actually quite good for flavoured salts). Once the syrup is added to the salt and combined it needs to dry out in the oven at a low temperature for a couple of hours (turning as often as possible to promote even drying). I use coarser sea salt for this method, and after it has dried it can then be blended again to process the salt till it is a bit finer.
So without further ado, you will find my four recipes below – I hope you are inspired to create your own flavoured salts as gifts for Christmas!
Bacon and Shiitake Mushroom Salt
Ingredients
- 300g lean bacon
- 80g dried shiitake mushrooms
- 750g fine sea salt
Directions
Preheat oven to 180° Celsius.
Place a cookie rack on a bakingtray and then lay bacon on top in one layer and bake until just before it starts to blacken (it needs to bevery crisp). Remove from oven, pat dry with paper towel and set aside to cool.
Chop the bacon roughly and then blitz in a spice grinder in portions until very fine then set aside. Repeat with the dried shiitake mushrooms and place in a food processor with the salt and pulse until combined.
Roasted Garlic and Chilli Sauce Salt
Ingredients
- 2 heads (bulbs) garlic
- 1/3 cup chilli sauce (I used mexican Cholula sauce, but you could use Sriracha sauce)
- 750g coarse sea salt
Directions
Preheat oven to 200° Celsius.
Place garlic bulbs on a baking tray and bake until cloves are soft (about 30 mins). Remove from oven and set aside to cool. Once cool, remove the garliccloves from skin and place in a food processor. Blitz until a paste, then add salt and chilli sauce and blitz until completely combined (the salt will turn an even orange colour).
Transfer the salt to a lined baking tray in an even layer and bake at a very low temperature (as low as your oven will go) for about 2 hours turning the salt every 15-30 minutes, to avoid clumping, till the salt has dried.
Once dry, blitz again if required (will depend on how coarse your salt is).
Red Wine and Rosemary Salt
Ingredients
- 750ml bottle red wine
- 1/4 cup packed rosemary leaves
- 750g coarse sea salt
Directions
Add wine to a medium heavy based saucepan and cook on medium heat till boiling. Once boiling reduce heat to low and continue simmering until the wine has reduced down to a syrup consistency (this will take about 20 minutes).
While the wine is simmering, blend rosemary leaves in a spice grinder until fine and set aside.
Place salt, rosemary and wine in a food processor and blend until completely combined (the salt will turn an even purple colour).
Transfer the salt to a lined baking tray in an even layer and bake at a very low temperature (as low as your oven will go) for about 2 hours turning the salt every 15-30 minutes, to avoid clumping, till the salt has dried.
Once dry, blitz again if required (will depend on how coarse your salt is).
Espresso and Vanilla Salt
Ingredients
- 2 cups espresso coffee
- 2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste
- 750g coarse sea salt
Directions
Add coffee and vanillato a medium heavy based saucepan and cook on medium heat till boiling. Once boiling reduce heat to low and continue simmering until the coffeehas reduced down to a syrup consistency (this will take about 20 minutes).
Place salt and coffee syrupin a food processor and blend until completely combined (the salt will turn an even coffeecolour).
Transfer the salt to a lined baking tray in an even layer and bake at a very low temperature (as low as your oven will go) for about 2 hours turning the salt every 15-30 minutes, to avoid clumping, till the salt has dried.
Once dry, blitz again if required (will depend on how coarse your salt is).
