Taste. Season.
As I was attempting to proof-read my new e-cookbook recently, I realised that they are probably the two most repeated words, well maybe after tablespoon and cup. But arguably the most important instructions in any recipe method.
Which got me thinking about when I was getting into cooking. I remember always being nervous when I came to the bit in a recipe when it said ‘season to taste’. I knew that meant adding salt and pepper. But how could I possibly know how much? For years I’d just add a few grinds of pepper and a pinch of salt and hope for the best. That was until I had a bit of a seasoning revelation.
I was travelling in Mexico and signed up for a 1 day market tour and cooking class just outside the beautiful city of Oaxaca. I was expecting the most enlightening part of the day to be the bit when we ate chilli and lime fried grasshopper. But I was wrong.
As we broke up into groups to cook our assigned dishes, I was a little underwhelmed by the thought of making a fish soup. But as my team got going, we had a heap of fun. When the instructor came round to check on our progress, we were proud to announce that the soup was done.
After tasting, she inquired as to whether we’d seasoned it and got us to taste as well. I thought it was pretty good, but at her insistence we added a more salt. A second taste and the difference was staggering. With our instructor’s encouragement we continued to salt and taste. Each time the soup tasted more alive and vibrant, not salty but fresh and good.
It was then that I realised that this is what seasoning is about – tasting and tweaking – or fine tuning to bring out the best in the food. After that, I felt more confident with the whole seasoning thing and began to experiment with my own cooking. I like to think of seasoning as an art that I’m continuing to practice and improve.
how do I go about seasoning a dish?
There are two main times to think about seasoning – the beginning and the end. For slow cooked dishes it’s a good idea to get some salt in early so it can spread through the whole dish over time. For most other things seasoning at the end is the best way to go.
Before you serve, have a little taste of your dish and ask yourself these questions:
i. Does this taste delicious as is? Or are the flavours a little dull?
ii. Would it taste (even) better with some salt and pepper?
If you’re a little unsure, you can take out a little sample and add some salt and pepper to it. Taste and compare to the original. If it tastes better, add salt to the dish. If not then you’re ready to serve. It’s all about backing yourself and trusting your judgement.
what should I use?
If you don’t own a pepper grinder, at least get yourself one of those supermarket disposable bottles of peppercorns. There is no substitute for the fragrance of freshly ground pepper. I like to use the best black peppercorns I can afford, as I find that white pepper has a faint air of B.O. about it. But it’s up to you.
For salt, I keep two kinds.
i. Inexpensive fine sea salt for bulk seasoning things like pasta water or for making brine.
ii. Sea Salt flakes, usually Maldon that have a lovely large flake structure that make them perfect for crushing over things at the last minute.
Iodised salt is great for people that don’t get any seafood in their diet and might be iodine deficient, but I prefer to eat fish and have my salt clean tasting.
what happens if I overdo it?
We’ve all been a bit heavy handed with the salt at times. Although I can’t remember ever having a pepper overdose.
To be honest about the only way you can fix serious over-salting is to dilute the dish. Which can be tricky unless it’s a soup or stewy type thing. Serving with unsalted accompaniments, like mashed potato made with unsalted butter, or skipping the salt in the pasta water can help.
The best bet is to serve lots of water and hope nobody notices. The power of suggestion can really sway peoples’ taste perceptions so best not to alert your diners to the over-salting situation.
keen to learn more?
Part 1. salt & pepper
Part 2. sweet & sour (acidity)
Part 3. flavourings
Bonus – seasoning problem solving guide.
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