[dropcap style=”font-size: 60px; color: #71CCD5;”] W[/dropcap]hen I was first getting into cooking, I always felt lost when I got to the part
of the recipe that said ‘season to taste’.
I’d add salt and pepper, cross my fingers and ‘hope’ for the best.
All that changed on a trip to Mexico…
Taking a class in Mexican cooking just outside Oaxaca, I learned a lot more than the fact that deep fried grasshoppers with lime and chilli are delicious.
I learned what is means to season properly.
And what a massive difference it can make to how things taste.
In the class we made a ho-hum fish soup.
Then with the help of our instructor, seasoned it until it was a delicious soup.
A soup that danced on our palates.
From that day on I’ve learned to take the time to season my food.
I can’t tell you what a difference it’s made to my cooking.
It only takes a minute or so.
And a few basic ingredients.
Time well spent…
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN TODAY:
- What seasoning is
- Why seasoning is important
- 7 tips for seasoning like a pro
What is Seasoning?
Seasoning is about improving the flavour of your food mostly via the addition of salt and pepper. Herbs, spices, sweet things and acidic things can also be considered seasoning.
Why Seasoning is Important
Seasoning is the critical skill you need to master to be an amazing cook.
Because seasoning transforms your food from OK (or even not-so-good) to amazing.
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve cooked something and been disappointed.
Then I’ve added some salt.
Or maybe a lot of salt.
And possibly some vinegar or lemon juice.
Suddenly I’m excited to eat something that only a few minutes before I was thinking about as a ‘failure’.
Seasoning makes the world of difference.
I can’t stress enough how important it is.
7 Tips for Seasoning Like a Pro
1. Pause and ask
Before serving take a minute to really taste the food and ask yourself
‘Could this be better?’
If the answer is yes. Add some salt and taste again.
Keep going until you are happy with the results.
2. Think about the saltiness of your ingredients
One of the best ways to anticipate whether you’re going to need any extra seasoning is to have a think about how much salt each ingredient is contributing.
If there are olives, anchovies, feta, capers or bacon, for example, the dish is probably sufficiently salty.
3. Beware of taste saturation
Remember that when your taste buds have been exposed to something a few times, they become less sensitive to those flavours.
So if you’ve been tasting and tweaking for a while, it’s good to have a break and a glass of water OR get a second opinion from someone else.
4. Consider your accompaniments & the end use.
If you’re making a filling for pies, remember that it’s going to be eaten with the pastry so a little bit more salt might not be a bad thing.
5. Allow for the serving temperature.
The colder things are, the duller the flavours (or the less we perceive them).
Best to taste and season at the serving temperature if you can, otherwise try and allow for differences in temperature.
6. Always err on the ‘less is more’.
Removing excess salt is pretty much impossible, so best to season gradually.
7. Consider individual preferences and sensitivities.
Everyone is different. People who rarely eat salty food will be more sensitive than those who eat out all the time.
Likewise, younger people tend to be more taste sensitive than the elderly.
The answer is to season as much as you think it needs, but serve some salt at the table for your guests to fine tune.
8. It’s OK to expectorate.
One of the most useful skills I learnt as a winemaker was how to spit.
I know this can be gross, but I’d much rather spit as I’m seasoning and still feel like hungry when I sit down to dinner.
SUMMARY:
Here’s what we’ve covered:
- Seasoning is all about making food taste amazing.
- It’s the number one skill to learn because it means the difference between not-so-great and delicious meals.
- To season like a pro just take the time to taste and ask.
ACTIVITY
Next time you’re cooking and the recipe says to ‘season’, take a minute to really taste the food and ask yourself ‘Could this be better?’
If the answer is yes. Add some salt and taste again. Keep going until you are happy with the results.
LEARN MORE
See the Art of Seasoning Bonus Training.
Keep it simple (and fun) in the kitchen!
With love,
Jules x
This is one area where I have a lot to learn. I tend to trust my recipes regarding the amounts of seasoning. That usually works okay, but sometimes we end up eating something and discussing what would make it taste better. Clearly it would be helpful if I could get myself to do some tasting and thinking before serving. One comment about salt: at least for me, sometimes too much salt makes me think I’m eating chili peppers – for my tastebuds salt tends to add heat.
Hi Susan!
Maybe challenge yourself you taste when you’re cooking – and ask the question as to whether it could taste better?
Or serve the salt and some acid (lemon / lime / vinegar) at the table and experiment with your husband while you’re actually eating.
And that’s interesting about your tastebuds and salt sensitivity. I haven’t heard of that before 🙂