A lot of people are unsure when it comes to seasoning food, but it doesn’t have to be complicated. All you really need is salt and pepper. When I cook a chicken, for example, everything I add is to emphasize and enhance its natural flavor—to make that chicken the star of the plate, with little distractions. By focusing on great ingredients and going back to basics with salt and pepper, you’ll begin to get a real understanding of how to bring out the best in your food, the food’s own great flavor.
Salt’s nature is to accentuate the essence of foods by extracting its juices and natural flavors. In my cooking I use fine sea salt from
The job of pepper is to add a little heat. Tellicherry, Lampong and Malabar are all widely available varieties of black pepper, with Malabar being the most prized for its flavor. White pepper is simply the seed of the peppercorn, after the dried black fruit has been removed. I use a lot of white pepper in my kitchen because I’m always cooking fish, and the white flesh looks better to me without black flecks all over it. The difference is subtle enough that most recipes won’t be affected by the color of the pepper. It’s more important that you are using freshly ground pepper, which has more spiciness than already ground, and that’s good.
To season, hold your hands six to eight inches above the food and sprinkle a fine coating of salt and pepper all over the surface before cooking. Be methodical about seasoning evenly–if you have uneven fillets, use more salt and pepper on the thicker portions. And always season both sides. If you are roasting a chicken, don’t forget to season the inside too. Wait to salt your foods until as close as possible to cooking so you don’t lose too much of the juices and flavor. Of course, you can adjust your seasonings at the end, but everything will taste much better if you cook with salt from the beginning. And remember to apply your salt and pepper—and any other herb or spice–with dry hands for the most control.
foodforthought SAID...
I learned to cook from a Spaniard with a culinary pedigree, and so to me this feels like a very European approach to flavor - simple and yet refined. Salt and pepper is often times all you need to bring out the amazing essence of the primary ingredient. It’s about accentuating instead of smothering. Love this post….
Diazman SAID...
So True!!! The best chicken I’ve eaten was seasoned only with salt & pepper…Wow! unforgettable ( Thomas Keller , Bouchon cookbook )
Don’t go out and buy a chicken and pop it on the oven with salt & pepper, it’s not that easy.. it’s all about ” la technique”
Stephanie SAID...
A much needed lesson for many aspiring cooks. Salt and pepper are such perfect compliments for almost everything, yet it is so often forgotten that they can stand on their own.
kristin1 SAID...
I enjoy trying different types of peppercorns, with the Tellicherry being my favorite. I like the full flavor the grinding the peppercorns gives to food. Malibar would have to be a close second. I tried pink peppercorns and was sadly disappointed but I found that if I mixed them with the Tellicherry and then would grind them, they gave food a balanced flavor.
sromine SAID...
Eric–I agree with the simplicity of sea salt and fresh ground pepper. What is the purpose of salting 8 inches above the meat?
Sarah SAID...
I believe the esteemed cook and author Amy Sedaris has a recipe that reads “Salt. Pepper. Cook ’til done.” This technique truly applies to so many ingredients. Thank you for the insight!
jodycakes SAID...
simplicity at it’s best…thank you for the reminder of how it should be done!
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alice SAID...
I’ve thought about this post a lot, because it reminded me of a time when I’d made vegetables (shredded cabbage, specifically) and seasoned them with only salt and pepper. My dad said it tasted flat this way, and I’ve been at a loss for how to season them better.
>> “Salt’s nature is to accentuate the essence of foods by extracting its juices and natural flavors.”
Do you think that would be sufficient for vegetable platters?
Dibranchia SAID...
Am I the only one that can’t stand the smell of white pepper? I’m ok with the taste of it, but I honestly can’t get past the smell of it. It has actually turned me off quite a lot of foods in Asian places before I even taste them and when I’ve cooked them myself.
spamisthenewham SAID...
I’ve never been a great fan of white pepper — aesthetically or flavorwise, it never did much for me in terms of presentation or taste: it is neither here nor there situation for my cooking.
My palate isn’t flat, but rather, I reserve a personal preference for freshly cracked (whether via frying pan, mill etc.) black peppercorns, instead. I love their appearance — you *know* what is there, not unlike a garnish of a given green herb, and I love its taste and texture whether fine, rough or whole e.g. regarding the three stages, fine (eggs, dry rubs) , rough (steaks and chops), or whole (pork and chicken adobo), depending on the type of dish and protein.
Also, depending on the dish, I usually season cabbage with garlic, pepper and a good — good, meaning, not necessarily expensive, but rather, flavorful — fish sauce and some acid to cut through the fish sauce. Using fish sauce also means I can leave off the salt.
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