We all know the importance of seasoning when it comes to improving a dish’s flavour, but how about intensifying the flavour profiles of ingredients through salt pastry baking? We spoke to head chef Chris Cleghorn from The Olive Tree in Bath about this unconventional cooking and how it helps to lock in impressive flavour and moisture.
What is salt pastry baking?
“Salt pastry baking is a technique in which you bake ingredients in a heavily salted pastry to intensify flavours and lock in moisture. The salt pastry is simply made by combining rock salt, flour and water to form a rough pastry that can then encase your chosen ingredient, mainly vegetables or fish, and bake in the oven to cook.”
What are the benefits of salt pastry baking?
“The main benefit to salt pastry baking are locking in the moisture which in turn intensifies the flavours – it really is that simple.”
Is salt pastry baking best used for vegetables, meat or fish?
“Salt pastry baking works exceptionally well with root vegetables and whole fish. Root vegetables like beetroot, carrot, celeriac and swede are some of a few that work well, particularly at this time of year. Celeriac baked in salt crust pastry I think has the best result though, and also gives a great yield in the end.”
Visit Chris at The Olive Tree, Bath