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Barefoot Contessa & Salt |
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#1 |
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Inactive Member
Join Date: Jan 2013
Posts: 1,140
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Barefoot Contessa & Salt
I watch Ina sometimes and am in constant amazement at the amount of salt she uses!! I made a spaghetti bolognese the other day, I normally do a chilli instead - more flavour, but it was delicious. I used the traditional Bologna recipe, and just added mushrooms and herbs. I thought I'd follow her bolognese recipe today, for a change as I had a load of mince to be used, and it's gross. Should've tasted before adding the 3 TABLESPOONS of salt. Should've used my common sense. You have a lot of liquid and leave it cooking for hours to condense. It is supposed to bring flavour out and diffuse, but no. No wonder she is huge, why does she do this?? Has anyone got any advice on how to rescue the saltiness? Tried sugar, but it doesn't work. Thank you!
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#2 |
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Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Lufbra
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Slice and add a raw potato to the bolognese. It'll soak up the salt as it cooks. Good luck
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#3 |
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Join Date: Jun 2008
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Where did you find the recipe?
This one calls for one tablespoon of salt in the sauce: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/i...ipe/index.html |
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#4 |
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Join Date: Nov 2010
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milk or cream can help. add a little at a time and taste till you feel it's ok.
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#5 |
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Join Date: Feb 2012
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I've never really noticed the amount of salt she uses. I do notice the vast amounts of butter, cheese, cream and oil she uses in her recipes. Often at the same time.
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#6 |
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Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Up North
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Quote:
I watch Ina sometimes and am in constant amazement at the amount of salt she uses!! I made a spaghetti bolognese the other day, I normally do a chilli instead - more flavour, but it was delicious. I used the traditional Bologna recipe, and just added mushrooms and herbs. I thought I'd follow her bolognese recipe today, for a change as I had a load of mince to be used, and it's gross. Should've tasted before adding the 3 TABLESPOONS of salt. Should've used my common sense. You have a lot of liquid and leave it cooking for hours to condense. It is supposed to bring flavour out and diffuse, but no. No wonder she is huge, why does she do this?? Has anyone got any advice on how to rescue the saltiness? Tried sugar, but it doesn't work. Thank you!
You should watch Anne Burrell. Now she does like her salt. She shots handfulls into dishes
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#7 |
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Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: The Sunny Side Of The Street
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US tablespoons are different in size to ours. UK tablespoons are about 20 percent larger.
I would also consider that it was an error and that it should have been teaspoons. |
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#8 |
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Join Date: Jun 2008
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She also uses Kosher salt which is coarser and will yield less sodium than the same volume of regular table salt.
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#9 |
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Inactive Member
Join Date: Jan 2013
Posts: 1,140
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Quote:
Slice and add a raw potato to the bolognese. It'll soak up the salt as it cooks. Good luck
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#10 |
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Inactive Member
Join Date: Jan 2013
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Quote:
Where did you find the recipe?
This one calls for one tablespoon of salt in the sauce: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/i...ipe/index.html |
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#11 |
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Inactive Member
Join Date: Jan 2013
Posts: 1,140
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Quote:
US tablespoons are different in size to ours. UK tablespoons are about 20 percent larger.
I would also consider that it was an error and that it should have been teaspoons. |
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#12 |
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Join Date: Jun 2008
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Quote:
Sorry for all these different replies, on my phone. I have a proper measure similar to the one she uses. And ours are smaller, as they are flatter and tiny. Theirs are deep. I use normal tablespoons or 'desert spoons'. I have one bigger one which is probably a tablespoon but most people use the one you would use for cereal in cooking, as did i today.
UK tablespoon 17.8 mL (according to google, anyway...) |
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#13 |
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Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Lufbra
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Quote:
It worked! I did it earlier. Cooked it as normal, and then used the potato trick. Thanks
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#14 |
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Join Date: Jun 2008
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I'm not trying to be awkward, but really? What is the scientific principle behind this? I always thought it was an old wives tale.
![]() The salty bolognese should have dehydrated the potato by osmosis, that is, the water inside the potato cell would have diffused out in an attempt to dilute the salty sauce. Osmotic flow always goes in the direction that favours dilution, so rather than the potato soaking up the salt, the water inside the potato should have flowed into the sauce. And I'm genuinely surprised that there was enough water in one potato to make such a noticeable difference in a sauce with three tablespoons of salt. And really, you could have achieved the exact same result by adding some water from the tap. Leaving all that aside, why would the potato absorb just the salt in the liquid and not the rest of the liquid (which would do nothing to reduce the concentration of salt in the remaining sauce)? |
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#15 |
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Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Lufbra
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I don't know
![]() I've heard aubergines do the same too. But as for the scientific reasoning behind it... I don't know ![]()
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#16 |
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Join Date: Jun 2008
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Bah! I want answers!
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#17 |
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Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Lufbra
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Quote:
Bah! I want answers!
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#18 |
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Inactive Member
Join Date: Jan 2013
Posts: 1,140
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Quote:
I'm not trying to be awkward, but really? What is the scientific principle behind this? I always thought it was an old wives tale.
![]() The salty bolognese should have dehydrated the potato by osmosis, that is, the water inside the potato cell would have diffused out in an attempt to dilute the salty sauce. Osmotic flow always goes in the direction that favours dilution, so rather than the potato soaking up the salt, the water inside the potato should have flowed into the sauce. And I'm genuinely surprised that there was enough water in one potato to make such a noticeable difference in a sauce with three tablespoons of salt. And really, you could have achieved the exact same result by adding some water from the tap. Leaving all that aside, why would the potato absorb just the salt in the liquid and not the rest of the liquid (which would do nothing to reduce the concentration of salt in the remaining sauce)? I basically cooked it in this big wok pan for about an hour and a half, then chucked in a load of raw potato, and although when I removed them it was still a bit too salty, it was no where near as bad. I don't like to waste stuff so I'll probably make a couple of lasagnes... I usually put beef stock cubes with a pint of boiling water into my mince and onions before the chopped tomatoes, I always make it watery and let it condense. Lucky I didn't use stock cubes this time. It was a huge pan full
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#19 |
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Join Date: Jun 2008
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Quote:
Lol I even resorted to google, and it appears google is not my friend on this one...I'm stumped!
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#20 |
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Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Lufbra
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Yes I guess it's up there with where do odd socks disappear to? Does every house have a black hole between the washing machine and laundry basket?
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#21 |
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Inactive Member
Join Date: Jan 2013
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Quote:
lol Oh well. There has to be something to it since so many people swear by it. Just one of those mysteries of life.
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#22 |
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Join Date: Jun 2008
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Quote:
Is it not something to do with starch?
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#23 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Nov 2008
Posts: 9,286
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Quote:
Where did you find the recipe?
This one calls for one tablespoon of salt in the sauce: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/i...ipe/index.html ![]() When I first saw the OP's post, I thought he may have mistaken the amount needed for the pasta ('the cooking water should be as salty as the mediterranean") and used it in the sauce instead. Obviously not. |
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#24 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jun 2008
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Quote:
There is absolutely no need for a tablespoon of any kind of salt in a pasta sauce
![]() When I first saw the OP's post, I thought he may have mistaken the amount needed for the pasta ('the cooking water should be as salty as the mediterranean") and used it in the sauce instead. Obviously not. But surely a lot depends on the size of your tablespoon, the size of your salt granules, the amount of sauce and your own personal taste, no? And one tablespoon is significantly less than three. For the record, I add salt a pinch at at time, not a spoon at a time... unless I'm baking of course. |
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#25 |
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Join Date: Nov 2008
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No, absolutely epicurian I agree with it being to personal taste. I always salt things at the end of cooking and can't remember the last time I used as much as a teaspoonful for soups or stews - if I add salt at all.
Credit should go to those responsible for getting the message across that too much salt in our diet is bad for our health. It's probably one of the more successful public information campaigns. |
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I basically cooked it in this big wok pan for about an hour and a half, then chucked in a load of raw potato, and although when I removed them it was still a bit too salty, it was no where near as bad. I don't like to waste stuff so I'll probably make a couple of lasagnes... I usually put beef stock cubes with a pint of boiling water into my mince and onions before the chopped tomatoes, I always make it watery and let it condense. Lucky I didn't use stock cubes this time. It was a huge pan full 