Smoked Salt – Salineras from Peru
Question: What do you do with a gift of smoked salt from Salineras de Maras Peru?
Answer: When you’re a food blogger you reach out to your chef friends and food community pals on social media.
Not surprisingly my chef food friends, including several from Food TV, graciously shared interesting, amazing and out-of-the-box ideas. There were savory suggestions, to my surprise sweet ideas and even a few for that used smoked salt with cocktails. In the culture of social media I knew I needed to do two things:
1. Share with you
2. Consolidated in one place
Question: How does a food blogger share lots of great cooking ideas from chefs and food community pals?
Answer: Write a blog post of course! 😉 So for your Divalicious pleasure I cordially invite you to ….. enjoy!
To kick this off, Chef Logan Guleff asked a great question: “What does it taste like?” So I tasted and tasted again. FYI – it is a challenge to describe food in a way that tells the taste. But you knew that! Here is my effort to explain this special smoked salt.
Getting a little hickory, a lot of smoke; crystals are about the size of Kosher salt so there is a bit of a crunch-bite. Strong smoke smell and nice after taste of smoke that lingers.
— Diva Foodies (@DivaFoodies) August 18, 2018
Logan suggested adding a sprinkle to avocado toast and to chicken, Margaritas, pork tenderloin. 
We even got a “Lord Honey” from Jason Smith! I especially loved his idea to make a bourbon smoked salt steak salt butter. I may be a Yankee from Boston but I do love a great bourbon (Whiskies of the World).
Lord honey rub down a nice thick bone in ribeye and grill it. Make a bourbon smoked salt steak sauce butter to serve with potatoes or veggies. https://t.co/AASF6ucCfu
— Jason Smith (@lowcarb77) August 18, 2018
Chef Kell Sloan created a total meal! Dessert sounded amazing – smoked salt caramel drizzled over fresh peaches.
Salt crusted baked red snapper with roasted veg salad (mushroom, asparagus, red onion, goat cheese and balsamic drizzle ) and salted caramel drizzle on fresh peaches and French Vanilla ice cream
— Chef Kell (@Kellsloan) August 18, 2018
Lemon Tartlet
It wasn’t a big surprise that Chef William Poole, Chocolatier extraordinaire, offered a sweet idea. What surprised me was adding smoked salt to lemon curd tartlets!
Use in lemon curd tartlets
— William Poole (@cowboychef) August 17, 2018
Smoked salt on blistered shisito peppers from Jessica Tom sounded delicious. Wonder if it will find its way in her next food novel!
Hmmmm maybe mix with your favorite herbs and spices and make a salt rub for baby back ribs. Or sprinkle on blistered shishito peppers.
— Jessica Tom (@jessica_tom) August 18, 2018
Kent Rollins, knows for sure about grilling, his idea about adding lemon and garlic butter with the smoke salt to grilled salmon would be wonderful.
A little lemon and garlic butter with that smoked salt on some grilled salmon
— Kent Rollins (@Kent_Rollins) August 18, 2018
The Chef in Pearls reminded us that simple is often a sophisticated way to enjoy different ingredients – as in an heirloom tomato salad.
How about in an heirloom tomato salad… keep it simple with a little olive oil, fresh cracked black pepper, fresh herbs and a sprinkle of your salt.
— The Chef In Pearls (@thechefinpearls) August 18, 2018
Yes Jay! There is nothing better than fresh bread hot out of the oven. Sprinkling a bit of smoked salt over butter on brioche bread would be heaven.
A smoked salt butter!! A hot piece of buttery sweet brioche bread with smokey salty creamy butter! Simple yum!!! Enjoy!!!!
— Jay (@chophappy) August 19, 2018
Never heard of dry brining a steak – thanks to Jay for the innovative idea.
Maybe try dry brining some steak 🤔
— Jay Eatz (@jay_eatz) August 18, 2018
Rochelle continued with more brine ideas along with a rub for fish. Logan agreed that compound butter would be divalicious on fish.
I love doing the compound butter with the Hawaiian Aleaha I think it is – salt it is so good the red clay pops
— Logan Jr Chef (@LoganJrChef) August 18, 2018
Nancy suggested grilling ripe summer tomatoes and then adding a sprinkle of the special smoked salt. Sounded so good.
A sprinkle on Juicy Ripe Summer-drippy Tomatoes, sliced and served with dinner from the grill!
— Nancy Waldeck (@TasteandSavor) August 18, 2018
Chef M shared lots of ideas from using as a finishing salt to what I think is the most interesting idea – with caramel or chocolate over brie.
Fantastic ideas! Thinking outside the box, first thought is cocktail rim or smoky simple syrup; finishing salt for mac n cheese, baked potatoes, chilaquilles, lamb, burgers!, deviled eggs, with caramel or chocolate over brie or ice cream 🙂
— Chef Melissa P. Hass (@FPorchGourmet) August 19, 2018
If all these ideas were not enough @l_Katz drooped a link that includes lots of smoked salt recipes!
Found this.Hope it helps.#foodlover #cookingskillshttps://t.co/9mXj2YvwM6
— L.U.J. Katz (@l_katz) August 17, 2018
Smoked Salt
Then I reached out to the wonderful members of @Tobymetcalf private Facebook group. The members were as generous with their ideas as the chefs on Twitter.
Steve – I used smoked salt when I made vegan collard greens for the vegan bf (my daughter’s, not mine). It really did the job.
Lisa – It’s good on fish, brisket, ribs, chops.
Toby – Over risotto
Carole – It’s great in bean and pork/sausage stews.
Brian – Rim a Paloma or Margarita
Logan Guleff– Winner MasterChef Junio
Jason Smith – Judge Food Network America’s Best Baker
William Poole – Finalist Food Network Spring Baking Championship
Jessica Tom – Winner Food Network Star
Kent Rollins – Winner Alton Brown Food Network Cutthroat Kitchen
Cassandra Mason aka The Chef in Pearls
Jay aka ChopHappy – Finalist Food Network Star
If you haven’t met any of these amazing chefs and home cooks – they are all linked to Twitter above. Great people to follow, learn from and be inspired. Special thanks to Bobbi for the smoked salt from Peru! [Follow DivaFoodies too!]
Speaking of inspiration ~ how would You use smoked salt? Drop in comments or on Twitter and tag us – DivaFoodies
Now I have a different dilemma ~ which to try first!
