A salt crust is a method of cooking by completely covering an ingredient such as fish, chicken or vegetables in salt (sometimes bound together by water or egg white) before baking. The salt layer acts as insulation and helps cook the food in an even and gentle manner. After baking, the salt crust is cracked and discarded, revealing the moist and evenly cooked food. [1] [2]
Typically delicate foods such as fish, chicken/poultry or vegetables are cooked using this method. In each case the aim is to lock in moisture, protect the food from drying, ensure even cooking, and maximise the flavour. [3]
The salt crust can be created simply by adding a sufficient quantity of coarse or fine salt to cover the food item. Water may be sprayed on top, to help the salt form a hard crust. Alternatively, the salt may be mixed with egg white to form a pliable paste. [4]
Baking typically occurs in an oven at around 200 °C (390 °F), with the salt crust acting as a cooking vessel. This slows heat transfer to the food creating a slow and low dry oven, beneficial to most proteins. [5]
To serve, the crust is broken and carefully removed, to avoid leaving excess salt residues in the food.
Steak can also be cooked using a similar method rather than broiling it and risk the loss of its juices. Coating a pan with salt and cooking the steak, ideally approximately an inch thick or less, on top yields a more moist and flavourful cut. The pan is heated until the salt crackles and steaks cooked with this method usually involves a crispy crust made of the salt. This is a key difference to other salt crusts as usually it is discarded but in this case it is used to add texture and flavour to the steak. [6]
The earliest recipe found for salt-baked is from the fourth century BCE in Archestratus' Life of Luxury. The recipe details for a whole, round white fish such as sea bass, snapper or sea bream that was cleaned and then gutted. The fish is seasoned with thyme being inserted into the cavity of the fish prior to the salt crust encapsulating it in two pounds of salt glued together with water and egg whites. [7]
In a Muslim cookbook originating from the thirteenth century, a layer of salt is placed on a new terracotta tile as a base and the fish is placed on top and another layer of salt is added on, then finally being placed in an oven.
The first recorded reference in China resembling the technique of baking in a salt crust is salt-baked chicken from Dong Jing in the province of Guangdong during the Qing Dynasty (1644–1911). The chicken was cooked and preserved in the salt fields of the area giving them added flavour. A more recent traditionally recipe is building a cocoon of salt around the chicken protecting it from direct heat ensuring even cooking and the possibility of drying out the meat. The chicken is wrapped in a tight parcel concentrating all the natural flavours of the chicken resulting in a succulent and tender product. This can be seen as the combination of the salt crust method with the French en papillote style. [8]
Baking is a method of preparing food that uses dry heat, typically in an oven, but can also be done in hot ashes, or on hot stones. The most common baked item is bread, but many other types of foods can be baked. Heat is gradually transferred "from the surface of cakes, cookies, and pieces of bread to their center. As heat travels through, it transforms batters and doughs into baked goods and more with a firm dry crust and a softer center". Baking can be combined with grilling to produce a hybrid barbecue variant by using both methods simultaneously, or one after the other. Baking is related to barbecuing because the concept of the masonry oven is similar to that of a smoke pit.
Roasting is a cooking method that uses dry heat where hot air covers the food, cooking it evenly on all sides with temperatures of at least 150 °C (300 °F) from an open flame, oven, or other heat source. Roasting can enhance the flavor through caramelization and Maillard browning on the surface of the food. Roasting uses indirect, diffused heat, and is suitable for slower cooking of meat in a larger, whole piece. Meats and most root and bulb vegetables can be roasted. Any piece of meat, especially red meat, that has been cooked in this fashion is called a roast. Meats and vegetables prepared in this way are described as "roasted", e.g., roasted chicken or roasted squash.
Pastry is baked food made with a dough of flour, water, and shortening that may be savoury or sweetened. Sweetened pastries are often described as bakers' confectionery. The word "pastries" suggests many kinds of baked products made from ingredients such as flour, sugar, milk, butter, shortening, baking powder, and eggs. Small tarts and other sweet baked products are called pastries as a synecdoche. Common pastry dishes include pies, tarts, quiches, croissants, and pasties.
A pie is a baked dish which is usually made of a pastry dough casing that contains a filling of various sweet or savoury ingredients. Sweet pies may be filled with fruit, nuts, fruit preserves, brown sugar, sweetened vegetables, or with thicker fillings based on eggs and dairy. Savoury pies may be filled with meat, eggs and cheese or a mixture of meat and vegetables.
Chicken-fried steak, also known as country-fried steak, is an American breaded cutlet dish consisting of a piece of beefsteak coated with seasoned flour and either deep-fried or pan-fried. It is sometimes associated with the Southern cuisine of the United States. It is breaded and fried with a technique similar to the more common fried chicken, hence "chicken-fried". When deep-fried, it is usually referred to as "chicken-fried steak". Pan-fried versions are typically referred to as "country-fried steak".
Malay cuisine is the traditional food of the ethnic Malays of Southeast Asia, residing in modern-day Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Brunei, Southern Thailand and the Philippines as well as Cocos Islands, Christmas Island, Sri Lanka and South Africa.
Chateaubriand is a dish that traditionally consists of a large front cut fillet of tenderloin grilled between two lesser pieces of meat that are discarded after cooking. While the term originally referred to the preparation of the dish, Auguste Escoffier named the specific front cut of the tenderloin the Chateaubriand.
Ukrainian cuisine is the collection of the various cooking traditions of the people of Ukraine, one of the largest and most populous European countries. It is heavily influenced by the rich dark soil (chornozem) from which its ingredients come, and often involves many components. Traditional Ukrainian dishes often experience a complex heating process – "at first they are fried or boiled, and then stewed or baked. This is the most distinctive feature of Ukrainian cuisine".
Biryani is a mixed rice dish that is thought to have originated from Iran or South India. It is made with rice, some type of meat and spices. To cater to vegetarians, in some cases, it is prepared by substituting vegetables for the meat. Sometimes eggs and/or potatoes are added.
Pennsylvania Dutch cuisine is the typical and traditional fare of the Pennsylvania Dutch. According to one writer, "If you had to make a short list of regions in the United States where regional food is actually consumed on a daily basis, the land of the Pennsylvania Dutch—in and around Lancaster County, Pennsylvania—would be at or near the top of that list," mainly because the area is a cultural enclave of Pennsylvania Dutch culture.
Beef Wellington is a steak dish of English origin, made out of fillet steak coated with pâté and duxelles, wrapped in puff pastry, then baked. Some recipes include wrapping the coated meat in a crêpe or dry-cured ham to retain the moisture and prevent it from making the pastry soggy.
Cypriot cuisine is the cuisine of the island of Cyprus, shared by both Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots.
The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to the preparation of food:
Gratin is a culinary technique in which an ingredient is topped with a browned crust, often using breadcrumbs, grated cheese, egg or butter. The term may be applied to any dish made using this method. Gratin is usually prepared in a shallow dish of some kind. A gratin is baked or cooked under an overhead grill or broiler to form a golden crust on top and is often served in its baking dish.
A meat pie is a pie with a filling of meat and often with other savory ingredients. They are found in cuisines worldwide.
Tunisian cuisine, the cuisine of Tunisia, consists of the cooking traditions, ingredients, recipes and techniques developed in Tunisia since antiquity. It is mainly a blend of Mediterranean and native Punics-Berber cuisine. Historically, Tunisian cuisine witnessed influence and exchanges with many cultures and nations like Italians, Andalusians, French and Arabs.
Malaysian Indian cuisine, or the cooking of the ethnic Indian communities in Malaysia, consists of adaptations of authentic dishes from India, as well as original creations inspired by the diverse food culture of Malaysia. Because the vast majority of Malaysia's Indian community are of South Indian descent, and are mostly ethnic Tamils who are descendants of immigrants from a historical region which consists of the modern Indian state of Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka's Northern Province, much of Malaysian Indian cuisine is predominantly South Indian inspired in character and taste. A typical Malaysian Indian dish is likely to be redolent with curry leaves, whole and powdered spice, and contains fresh coconut in various forms. Ghee is still widely used for cooking, although vegetable oils and refined palm oils are now commonplace in home kitchens. Before a meal it is customary to wash hands as cutlery is often not used while eating, with the exception of a serving spoon for each respective dish.
Sarawakian cuisine is a regional cuisine of Malaysia. Like the rest of Malaysian cuisine, Sarawak food is based on staples such as rice. There is also a great variety of other ingredients and food preparations due to the influence of the state's varied geography and indigenous cultures quite distinct from the regional cuisines of the Peninsular Malaysia. Sarawak is famous for its multi-ethnic population. As the homeland of many unique communities, Sarawak has a variety of cuisines rarely found elsewhere in Malaysia. The uniqueness of Sarawak well depends on its ethnic groups. Every native group in Sarawak has their own lifestyle, traditions, cultures and also foods. Sarawak cuisine is less spicy and has a subtle in taste. It uses fresh seafood and natural herbs like turmeric, lemongrass, ginger, lime and tapioca leaves. These ingredients are not only easily available, but also add a hint of aroma, texture and freshness to the delicacies. Food is one of the most cultural identities for native groups in Sarawak with each ethnic group having their own delicacies. Among the Iban, popular foods include tubu (stems), tuak and pansuh. The Malay have bubur pedas (porridge) and kek lapis Sarawak ; the Bidayuh have asam siok and sup ponas Bidayuh. The Melanau make tebaloi, sagu and umai and the Orang Ulu are known for garam barrio, kikid (broth), tengayen, and urum giruq (pudding).