I can't seem to get the salt - pepper ratio right!!! >>>

E

evan

Well-known member
Today I'm making this - or, I already made it once - to check it out.

I likeed the lime-coconut taste, but I tried to adjust the salt and pepper and it it came out too peppery and with too little salt but I couldn't add more salt either because then it would have over powered the lime and coconut.

But I do meet this problem frequently, so my question: HOW do you figure out how much salt and pepper you need, when the recipe says "salt and pepepr to taste"?

This is the recipe, BTW:

Coconut lime rice

3 cups water

2 cups sweetened flaked coconut

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 cup basmati rice

2 tablespoons lime juice

Salt and pepper to taste

Combine water and coconut in a small saucepan and simmer over medium heat for 5 minutes.

Place a strainer over a small bowl and strain coconut mixture into bowl; reserving liquid, discarding coconut solids. You should have 2 cups coconut milk. Set aside.

In a skillet heat oil and then add rice, stirring over medium heat until rice changes color (7-10 minutes).

Stir in the reserved coconut milk and bring mixture to a boil.

Stir in salt, pepper and lime juice.

Cover and reduce heat to a simmer.

Simmer for 20 minutes or until liquid is absorbed.

 
Always salt at the VERY end and add pepper gradually.....

it's just trial and error but do hold off on salt until the end for almost everything except maybe a seared or grilled piece of meat.

 
I disagree - I like to add a touch of salt at the beginning of cooking, so it has a chance to round

out the other ingredients. I also may add a touch halfway through cooking to further layer the flavors. Then I add the rest to taste at the end of cooking. (Since I always use very little salt in general, and use more herbs and spices, the salt is added sparingly in each part of the process).

 
I'm with Meryl--a little salt in the beginning. Pepper gets hotter the longer it cooks,

so I go very easy on it at the beginning as well.

 
Well, actually, I disagree with myself on this one. This is what is drilled into us at school...

I don't think flavors 'bloom' until salt is added so I used to add some at the beginning but watch the points come off if you are caught doing that on most items. Proteins are pretty much the exception.

 
If you only salt at the end then the salt doesn't have an opportunity to become a

part of the ingredient--especially rice, potatoes, pasta--and it will essentially just sit on top of it. And although the old warning was not to salt meat, that seems to be gone by the board also. Look at the myriad rubs for all kinds of meat that contain salt and go on the cut/raw surfaces of the meat. And the *dry brining* of poultry, which is just salting it. If you only add salt at the end, it doesn't marry with the ingredients and can even taste harsh--or rather just taste salty rather than enhance the flavor of the dish.
Loving pepper as I do I just do it with seeming abandon.

 
here's how i add salt ...

salt individually for each ingredient you add. deliberately under season a tad. the really important thing is to taste all the way through the recipe (not of course with undercooked chicken or slugs).

if it needs salt, then add some. if it's too salty don't add salt until it needs it again.

 
I thought it was interesting too, how we were told NEVER to salt meat at the outset as it

draws out the water. I think of it every time I salt meat before cooking it.

 
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