SNEAK PEEKS: SALT by Philip D. Bardin
With an alarming trend of rising hypertension, I began experimenting with salt substitutes both offered commercially and some concoctions from home (Elloree, S.C.). It was not until I returned to work at The Old Post Office Restaurant on Edisto Island (where I was the original restaurant founder and have been off and on as the chef since 1988) that these experiments became noteworthy. As a result, my estimation is that most items on the menu and from the old house have up to an 80% or more reduction in salt. Of course there are exceptions such as smoked foods that require brining. I can only tell you that the mixture is a combination of black pepper, cayenne pepper (just the right amount), cinnamon, cumin, garlic, onion, parsley, sage, and thyme just to name about half. The big secret here is to PUT SALT IN – just a little – to bring out all the other flavors.
Naturally any business is dependent on the desires of the customer so those requesting more salt prior to items being cooked would and will be complied with. This sounds absurd but I have fielded this request often in over three decades at the stove There is also – obviously – the personal decision to add salt from the table which I do not recommend. It has been my experience people use more than they should and then there is the classic Pavlov’s dog reaction of people salting and peppering their food automatically prior to tasting (people that “should not be trusted” according to the late J. Paul Getty).
Should a patron not like the blend, it is their right to express this to me so more traditional methods can be applied just for them. So far this has not occurred. Fortunately, many have commented that they liked the way things were being seasoned and this was prior to them knowing anything had changed as – until now – the information was not made public.
In Edward Behr’s brilliant, “The Artful Eater: A Gourmet Investigates the Ingredients of Great Food”, he mentions the dangers of salt but points out this merely affects a seventh to a tenth of the population. He uses salt sensitivity as s brief part of a preamble to a fabulous chapter on salt’s virtues, history and findings of the many different types (such as the great French gray Amorican salts of Loire). Unfortunately since the release of this fabulous read (1992), salt that enhances health risks – without question – are much higher now.
Given time and as an unchecked square on a to do list, the possibility of my spice mix becoming available for retail exists. After switching to” The Blend”, some great payoffs have been noticed. Without massive sodium intake, palates are refined and without the domination of salt other flavors are easier to identify thus more appreciated. After just a few days, one may begin to realize how there has been a mask covering virtues of costly foods and on the low scale the classic potato chip is suddenly bitter and unpleasant. Nagging pains that come with age – especially in the hands – can be lessened dramatically. Try, experiment and enjoy ……………
Copyright @ Philip Bardin February 2010
(Philip Bardin is a freelance journalist and chef at The Old Post Office Restaurant. “Sneak Peeks:” are excerpts from his second book due out in 2011. He can be reached at Bardindubois@aol.com)