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Smoked, Flavored, and Wood-Roasted Sea Salts

Smoked sea salts add a burst of flavor to raw and cooked foods when used as finishing or condiment salts. The options and flavors you can create are limitless. Anything from the aromatics list (opposite) will impart magical flavor to pure sea salt. Take it a step further and add other flavorings by tossing them into the salt before smoking.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    makes 1 cup

Ingredients

1 cup coarse sea salt
1 to 2 teaspoons flavoring ingredient

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    To smoke, mix the salt and 1 teaspoon of the flavoring ingredient together and spread on a baking sheet or in a baking dish. Place in a 175°F (or lower) closed wood-fired oven or grill for 3 to 4 hours. Let cool.

    Step 2

    If you want less smokiness, smoke only the sea salt, then add the other flavoring after. For more intense citrus flavor, add a few drops of citrus oil to the jar and shake to distribute.

    Step 3

    To flavor, mix the salt and 2 teaspoons of flavoring ingredient (such as peppercorns, citrus zest, lavender, vanilla bean, nutmeg, smoky paprika, or crumbled tomato skin from oven-roasted tomatoes) together and add to a glass jar.

    Step 4

    To roast, spread the salt in a small cast-iron skillet or clay baking dish. Moisten evenly with water or a flavored liquid such as tea, coffee, or even mushroom liquid. If using just water, add a powdered flavoring such as green tea or powdered mushrooms to the moistened salt. Slowly roast in a wood-fired oven, cooker or covered grill until the salt dries. Let cool.

    Step 5

    Store flavored salt in an airtight glass container in a cool, dark place.

Reprinted with permission from Wood-Fired Cooking: Techniques and Recipes for the Grill, Backyard Oven, Fireplace, and Campfire by Mary Karlin, copyright © 2009. Photography copyright © 2009 by Ed Anderson. Published by Ten Speed Press.
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