Salty Stuff
Chef Jason Hook shared some simple things that home cooks can do to improve his or her skills. For one, he says many home cooks don't use salt to their advantage, or are afraid of it altogether when salt serves many important functions.
“It can draw out moisture, it can concentrate flavor,” he says.
During his cooking lessons and demos, Hook stresses that there are three solid rules for salting. He advises:
- Salt carefully
- Season in layers
- Taste as you go along
When you're braising something, for example, the liquid reduces and the flavor becomes concentrated. When you're cooking vegetables, be careful, especially with mushrooms. “They absorb all the fat in the pan right away and tend to become salty quickly because they are full of water; you're better off waiting until the end.
Once you add salt, you can't take it away,” he says.
Another bit of advice that's “always a shocker to people,” has to do with cooking meat or fish: salt one side at a time. Pat it dry, salt one side, and put that side face down in the pan or on the grill. Then, before you flip it, pat the surface facing you dry, salt it, and flip it over. “It adds a better seasoning layer,” he explains.
The most important lesson:
Approach the kitchen with an open mind and take risks. “Experimenting and then failing—half the learning curve is failing. Don't be afraid to burn,” he says.
Jason Hook's Kitchen Essentials:
- Misono UX10” chef's knife—“For balance, weight and feel; it just fits like a glove,” Hook says.
- Diamond kosher salt
- Wooden cutting boards—“Old school,” he says
- 15 ½ quart Le Creuset oval French oven
- Underground circulator for sous vide cooking
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