Food Trends: Salty Is The New Sweet

As a Private Chef I am responsible for all of the components of a meal, from first courses to desserts. The family that I work for loves desserts and little sweets that can be nibbled throughout the day. Luckily, I am strongly cross-trained in both savory preparations and pastry. I try to stay on top of all of the latest food trends, not easy in this fast paced world...

One of my favorite new trends is the pronounced presence of salt in sweet preparations. It seems like all of the top French Pastry Chefs are putting French Sea Salt into everything. There is something magical about this combination. The sweet tastes sweeter, and the salt lingers on the palate, tempting you to take another bite. These French Chefs are even baking and making candies with, dare I say it, SALTED BUTTER! You know, the butter we're not even supposed to think about using in our recipes. The master, Pierre Herme, makes caramels using the forbidden, "second rate" ingredient. The result... The BEST caramel that you have ever tasted!

When baking with salt it is important to use only the best. We are looking for the purest salt flavor without any funny aftertaste. The French are of course using Fleur de Sel and Sel Gris, but there are a number of fancy sea salts on the market today. Each salt is unique as they all have different mineral contents. Experiment with different options until you find your favorite. Just remember, the larger the crystal, the less it will dissolve in your preparations.

Commercial table salt is not a good option as it contains multiple ingredients to make it "flow". These ingredients impart strange flavors. Don't use it. EVER! FOR ANYTHING!

Back in July, the New York Times published a recipe for the best Chocolate Chip Cookie in New York. The best cookie in New York is French! The recipe was created by Jacques Torres, one of the world's best French Pastry Chefs. The recipe is loaded with French Sea Salt, and the results are wonderful. You can get the recipe from the NY Times, but by now it is all over the web.

The following Chocolate Chip Recipe is the one that I have been using for years with the addition of Fleur de Sel. The original recipe was good, but this one rocks. Try it!


Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 1/2 sticks of softened UNsalted butter (I know)
1 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 whole egg, large
2 egg yolks, large
2 teaspoons Madagascar vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon Fleur de Sel
2 cups best quality bittersweet chocolate chips

Position oven racks to center of oven. Preheat oven to 325 degrees for at least 1 hour. Line 3 baking sheets with parchment or use a Silpat.

Mix flour, baking powder, and salt together using a whisk.

Using a mixer, cream butter and sugars together until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl to be sure that they are well blended. Add the whole egg and mix together, scraping the sides. Then add the yolks, one at a time, until blended. Add the vanilla.

Scrape sides again and add the flour mixture. Blend on low speed until just about incorporated. Finally, add the chocolate chips and blend until just incorporated and no more dry flour is visible. Allow dough to rest in refrigerator for at least 1 hour, but overnight is better to develop deeper flavor.

After dough has rested, scoop out scant 1/4 cup portions of dough and roughly form balls in your hands. Don't make them too smooth, the rough texture makes a better looking finished product. Place 6 portions per pan and bake for 18 to 20 minutes. For best results, bake only 1 pan at a time. When finished, remove cookies from pan using a spatula, and place on a cooling rack. Repeat with remaining pans. ENJOY!

Note: Fleur de Sel can be obtained at most specialty food stores, or from The Spice House.