At AJ's Fine Foods you'll find we are more than the products and delicacies in our aisles. The critical component of the AJ's experience lies in the spirit and expertise of our team members. Here you'll find your opportunity to ask questions and have our culinary experts share their knowledge with you.
I love dishes with big, bold flavors. Any advice you can share in regards to seasoning and flavoring dishes?
Helpful Hints for Seasoning and Flavoring:
Seasoning means to enhance the natural flavor of the food without significantly changing its flavor. Salt is the most important seasoning ingredient as it will enhance and 'brighten' the natural flavors present in a dish.
Kosher Salt or Sea Salt are the best types of salt to use for seasoning. They are both pure salt with no additional additives like iodine or anti-caking agents, both of which tend to lend a bitter or metallic taste to the salt and in turn can affect the taste of your food. Kosher salt is comprised of a flat crystal structure, which also helps it to dissolve faster, possibly decreasing the likelihood of over-salting. Add salt carefully because an item that truly has too much salt will taste salty.
Make the family meal a special time by sitting down together without the television on, reflecting on the day with positive banter, and enjoying food together, taking the time to savor the flavors.
Always salt protein foods before searing, which allows it to flavor the item; after searing, the salt bounces off, resulting in a tendency to over-salt the dish. Conversely, if you want to sauté vegetables, always salt after cooking, as the salt will leech out the juices, preventing browning. Read More...
