National Culinary Review

“We’re;using;SaltWorks;smoked;herb;salt;on;a;new;burger
we’re;taste-testing,”;Kirby;says.;“And,;our;bartenders;use;ghost
chili salt, perhaps the hottest salt in the world, for some of our
specialty;cocktails.”
Executive;chef;Chad;Clevenger;agrees;that;ghost;salt;packs;a
lot of heat. He makes his own for the bartenders at Alma Cucina, a
modern;Mexican;restaurant;in;Atlanta.;Clevenger;and;his;kitchen
staff also make hibiscus, carrot, saffron and lime salts.

A specialty of the house is cricket salt made from crickets he buys;by;the;box;from;a;farm;in;North;Carolina.;To;make;the;salt, he;freezes;the;crickets;so;that;they;die,;then;roasts;them;with;kosher salt;and;chili;powder.;The;final;step;is;to;grind;the;mixture.;The salt is kept behind the bar for patrons who want to try it. He also keeps roasted crickets on hand for the really daring.

The;hibiscus;salt;is;made;by;rehydrating;hibiscus;flowers in;water,;mixing;with;salt,;and;cooking;in;the;oven;or;on;the stovetop until the water evaporates. This produces a concentrated

Hibiscus salt, made in-house at Alma Cucina, is used in The Lay of the Land cocktail—Herradura silver tequila, Poire William liqueur, jalapeño and cucumber.

taste.;The;salt;is;used;at;the;bar;to;make;The;Lay;of;the;Land,;a cocktail;of;Herradura;silver;tequila,;Poire;William;liqueur,;jalapeño and;cucumber.;Clevenger;likes;the;lime;salt;as;a;finish;for;seviche. The carrot salt is used with carrot cake.

Although Clevenger likes to make as much as possible in-house, he does buy some specialty salts. Among them are black and red lava salts, Himalayan salt and Murray River. A favorite is Viking smoked sea salt from Denmark, which is black and intense.;He;uses;just;a;few;granules;to;finish;a;piece;of;meat;or fish.;For;day-to-day;use,;he;opts;for;fleur;de;sel;or;kosher;salt.

IN THE KITCHEN

Bourbon;Barrel;Foods,;Louisville,;Ky.,;makes;a;variety;of products;celebrating;Louisville’s;location;in;the;heart;of;bourbon country. Bourbon smoked salt is one of them. To make it, sea salt is solar-evaporated, then smoked with staves from barrels used to;age;Woodford;Reserve;bourbon.;It;is;sold;as;a;salt;and;as;part of a spice blend made by the company.

Matt;Jamie,;chef;turned;entrepreneur,;owns;Bourbon;Barrel Foods.;He;recommends;using;his;salt;on;grilled;meats;or;to enhance;the;flavor;of;fire-roasted;vegetables;and;crisp;green;salads. It also is a good match with ham and eggs, steak, salmon and smoked brisket.

At;Proof;on;Main;in;Louisville,;Bourbon;Barrel’s;bourbon smoked sea salt lines the rims of glasses for Chuck and Mary, a bloody;Mary;made;with;housemade;beef;broth.;Levon;Wallace, executive;chef,;also;is;a;fan;of;Xroads,;a;hand-harvested;Philippine sea salt that he says is lower in sodium and higher in magnesium. He likes it for raw dishes such as scallops and tuna. Both white and;pink,;the;salt;has;a;briny;flavor.;“You;can;use;it;on;cooked salmon;and;even;some;meat;dishes,”;Wallace;says.;For;grilled vegetables,;he;likes;Mexican;smoked;salts.

He also makes some of his own salts, including a toasted-corn;variety;to;go;with;dishes;featuring;cilantro,;jalapeño;and lime.;“The;toasted-corn;salt;imparts;the;same;flavor;as;a;tortilla chip,”;he;explains.

He;has;done;a;pancetta;salt;to;“add;yet;another;layer;of;flavor;to dishes,”;and;an;olive;salt.;For;that;one,;he;dehydrates;and;grinds Kalamata olives and blends them with Maldon, a mild British sea;salt.;“The;olive;salt;is;a;good;way;to;add;bold;flavor;to;a vegetable;dish,”;Wallace;says.

While;specialty;foods;may;come;and;go,;Kirby;believes;that the;variety;of;specialty;salts;is;here;to;stay.;Wallace;agrees,;noting that;“they;add;another;dimension;to;a;dish,;another;layer;of;flavor. Chefs;are;always;looking;for;that.”