The Elements of Cooking
Translating the Chef's Craft for Every Kitchen
3. Salt
I remember clearly the moment I heard it -- a bright Saturday afternoon, on the phone, seated at my desk in our old house. The truth of the news struck me like a spike. I was working with Thomas Keller on the proposal for what would become The French Laundry Cookbook. Relatively new to the world of professional cooking, I asked, "What's the most important thing for a cook to know in your kitchen?"
He paused, then said, "Seasoning."
"What do you mean, seasoning?"
"Salt and pepper." He paused again. "Salt, really."
"The most important thing for a cook to know is how to salt food?"
"That's right," he said.
The truth of it would only deepen as I continued to explore the craft of cooking. It is true not just for cooks in professional kitchens, but for all cooks in all kitchens, everywhere: learning to salt food properly is the most important skill you can possess.
No surprise, then, that salting food is one of the first things taught in culinary school. When my instructor judged my soup to be ... read full excerpt from: The Elements of Cooking: Translating the Chef's Craft for Every Kitchen ebook
