I have come to realize throughout all these years of teaching and cooking that something as simple as using the right salt, in the right amount, and at the right time, can make a huge difference in the results of a dish. At The Chopping Block, we specialize in instructing our students and customers on how to do just that. My theory is that the products we sell can also support us in telling that educational story. The introduction of the new TCB branded sea salts is our first attempt at really doing that.
I have been looking for a Kosher sea salt that we can use in our classrooms and that we can sell in our retail stores for a long time. Regular Kosher salt is great because of its flake, which is easy to see and helps us to know that the salt we are adding is being applied evenly. The problem is that regular Kosher salt is made pretty much the same as table salt: mined, milled, bleached, with all nutrients removed, and it also has pretty much the same taste, which isn't the best. I don't mean to be a salt snob. I don't have a problem with regular Kosher salt but there is a significant improvement in flavor in our new TCB Kosher sea salt. When used at the right time, in the right amount, it can assist in elevating your results in cooking while minding your salt budget.
You will now see the new TCB sea salts on both the retail floor and in our kitchen classrooms.
The three sea salts we are introducing are:
1. Fine Sea Salt
Meant for baking, finishing fried foods, finishing dishes that were under seasoned during cooking where you want the salt to disappear, and in dishes where dissolving is difficult such as oil-based dressings, aiolis or marinades. Fine sea salt is also great for rubs and spice blends. This is the least expensive, per ounce, of our salts so it’s our best bet for pasta water, brining, or other applications where large amounts of salt are used.
2. Kosher Sea Salt
General purpose cooking salt mainly prized for being able to see the salt grain when it is applied, to season a steak, roasting vegetables, or over easy eggs. If you're buying just one salt, this is likely the salt you would want.
3. Big Flake Sea Salt
This flake is conical and very large, meant to be crushed in your fingers to the desired size. This salt is best highlighted by finishing a dish such as salad, steak, or fresh tomato, where we want a pop of salt. Big Flake Salt is great for baking applications where salt is meant to be a focus such as finishing a truffle, cracker, or scone.
The label on each of the new TCB salts indicate and remind you what each salt is meant to be used for in cooking. The salts are also numbered and labels colored to help you easily distinguish the three types from one another in the kitchen. You will also start to see our class recipes highlighting the specific TCB salts to be used in specific recipes. That will be a more gradual process, but we feel like it will continue to assist in the accuracy of our recipes and also provide yet another level of education.
Please stop in our stores and we would be happy to sample and share our exciting new products.
